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83
Precautionary Spraying. During the year, 396 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 and this involved
the treatment of a further 627 rooms and 93 external areas.
It is interesting to illustrate the reliance placed on the department
by the general public by recounting the fact that on one
occasion the staff was called in to deal with a scorpion's nest which
had arrived in the Borough from the Middle East with a case of
machinery spare parts. On another occasion the department was
asked to deal with a nuisance arising from wild cats breeding
indiscriminately at, and in the vicinity of, a local hospital. This
necessitated 20 visits with purpose-made wire traps before the
nuisance was abated.
Aged, Infirm and Physically Incapacitated Persons.—
Ways in which local authorities can improve and augment provisions
for the well-being of old people were contained in a publication
issued in March of the current year by the Ministry of Housing
and Local Government jointly with the Ministry of Health (Circulars
10/61 and 12/61 respectively).
In stressing the need for the closest co-operation between
housing, health, welfare and voluntary organisations the circular
pointed out the extent of the problem and the role which the general
practitioner would have to play if any appreciable advancement is
to be made in covering the needs of the elderly.
Later in the year the circular was followed by a memorandum
entitled "Services Available to the Aged and Chronic Sick" which
had been prepared by the Standing Medical Advisory Committee.
This memorandum describes the problems of an ageing population
and, in order to help the general practitioner, sets out the kinds of
services provided by the local health and welfare authorities, housing
department and hospitals, etc., that are available to his older
patients. Much of the material contained in this latter publication
has already been discussed at great length in my previous Annual
Reports including possible action which can be taken by the various
authorities mentioned therein.
Notwithstanding all that has been written about the elderly
from a social medicine point of view, fundamentally there are only