London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Finsbury 1956

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough]

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31
Estates (other than Post-War Estates) or requisitioned property.
The normal routine is for the old accommodation of the prospective
tenant to be sprayed with a D.D.T. Solution some days before the
removal and at the same time for the proposed new accommodation to be
treated in the same way. On the day of removal bedding is collected
from the old address, steam disinfected in the Council's ovens, and
then removed to the new premises. In the case of Post War Estates
the Council has entered into arrangements for the furniture and effects
to be treated with hydrogen cyanide gas before removal to the Estate.
Section 122 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936 enables the
Council, on a report from the Medical Officer of Health that any
articles in a house in the borough are in such a filthy, dangerous or
unwholesome condition that health is affected of endangered thereby
to cause the articles to be cleansed, disinfected or destroyed
47 such representations were made in 1956.
Cleansing of Verminous Persons
The Borough Council continued the operation of the Cleansing
Station in the Health Centre for the treatment of verminous conditions,
including Scabies and the arrangements whereby school children were
treated on behalf of the London County Council under the supervision
of a nurse appointed by them. At other times the work was carried
out under the supervision of the nurse appointed by the Council, who
also undertook the Home Visiting when this was necessary.
Arrangements were also continued during the year by which cases
were treated on behalf of the Shoreditch Borough Council.
Body lice have been dealt with by means of a hot bath during
which the clothing is steam disinfected and then powdered with D.D.T.
Head lice have been dealt with by the usual method of washing and
combing the hair together with the use of Suleo, a preparation containing
D.D.T.
Scabies has been treated by painting the body after a hot bath
with Benzyl Benzoate on the first attendance followed by a further hot
bath on the next day and the application of calamine lotion. The
clothes are not normally disinfected. Scarcely any recurrences have
taken place.