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Verminous Articles & Premises:
The Council's Disinfestation service continues to provide for the
destruction of all insects and pests, but in particular bed bugs,cockroaches,
fleas etc.
Usually it is sufficient to spray with a 5% solution of D, D.T. or
other insecticide with a follow-up treatment about 14 days later if
required. Badly infested bedding is removed for treatment in the steam
disinfector at the Health Centre.
The re-housing programme in operation locally, and the continuous
low temperatures during 1963, reduced by approximately 30% the number
of bed bug infestations dealt with as compared with 1962. As a
precautionary measure spraying is carried out to the furniture and
effects shortly before removal but in certain cases a fumigation is
done during the time the goods are being transported to the new address.
Section 122 of the Public Health (London) Act 1936 enables the
Council on a report from the Medical Officer of Health to cause to be
cleansed, disinfected or destroyed, any article in a house which has
become verminous, filthy, dangerous or in an unwholesome condition
that health is affected. During 1963, 35 such representations were
made and spraying was carried out before any article was removed.

The routine spraying was also carried out at 169 Council properties
which had for some reason become vacant.
Scabies and Other Verminous Conditions:
The Borough Council continued the operation of the Bathing Centre
in the Health centre for the treatment of verminous conditions, including
Scabies.
Arrangements were also continued for the treatment of cases on
behalf of the Shoreditch Borough Council.
The evidence of both scabies and body lice has remained low, although
a considerable number of children, mainly dealt with by the London
County Council as Education Authority, were found with head lice.
Home visiting has only been carried out in connection with the
somewhat rare cases of persistent or recurrent infestations in the same
family.
51.