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

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Greenwich 1960

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough.

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70
factories, etc., where they cause considerable wastage of goods.
In houses they become a nuisance during cooking and at meal times
and it is conceivable that they are instrumental in the spread of food
poisoning.
The queen wasp, the only survivor from the previous year's
colony, emerges from hibernation in the Spring to choose a site for
nesting, usually in cavity walls, lofts, under roof tiles and other sites
which evoke a certain ingenuity on the part of the disinfestors in
order satisfactorily to deal with the nuisance.
A number of complaints regarding this pest were received and
during the year some 57 nests were destroyed, mainly by means of
HCN gas generated from purpose-made proprietary powder.

Many other types of infestation were encountered and the following is a list of the treatments which were carried out in connection therewith:—

Beetles :
Black19
Larder4
Carpet12
Golden Spider1
Soldier2
Earwigs32
Silver Fish17
Fleas12
Moths6
Woodworm4
Red Mite of Poultry6
Other Miscellaneous Insects28

Precautionary Spraying. During the year, 372 requests were
received for the collection and disposal of unwanted bedding,
furniture and miscellaneous household effects. In each instance
the items were sprayed as a precautionary measure prior to removal
by the Borough Engineer's refuse disposal section.
Public Baths and Washhouses.—Greenwich is in the happy
position of having a modern establishment for its Public Baths and
Washhouses, situated in Trafalgar Road, and covering an area of
1¼ acres. Originally there were 3 large swimming baths, 74 ladies
and gents' slipper baths, medicated vapour and foam baths,
washhouses and laundry, etc., but during the war the Ladies' 2nd
Class Swimming Bath was demolished by enemy action. Subsequently
the Council, with Ministry approval, decided that Turkish
and Vapour Baths would replace the original swimming bath and
rebuilding with this aim in view commenced during 1957.