London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hammersmith 1964
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hammersmith Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
3!
from treatment at business premises amounted to £186 for the current year, a
decrease of £4 over 1963.
The following is a summary of the work for the year:—
| TYPE OF PROPERTY | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Authority | Dwelling Houses | Business etc. | Totals | |
| Number of properties | 43 | 25,200 | 4,230 | 29,473 |
| Number of Complaints | 14 | 392 | 69 | 475 |
| Number of properties inspected | 21 | 862 | 192 | 1,075 |
| Found to be infested by rats, | ||||
| major | — | 15 | 2 | 17 |
| minor | 8 | 294 | 42 | 344 |
| Found to be infested by mice, | ||||
| major | 2 | — | 1 | 3 |
| minor | 4 | 88 | 19 | 111 |
| No. of properties treated | 14 | 400 | 64 | 478 |
Nuisance from Pigeons
For some time past complaints have been received of the nuisance caused by
pigeons. Efforts made to trap and destroy these pests met with little success. The
Council accordingly wrote to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
expressing their concern at the damage to health which could be occasioned by
disease carried by pigeons, and requesting the Ministry to arrange for more
extensive research to be carried out into this aspect of public health. A reply was
received from the Ministry of Health which stated "the risk to public health of
the ordinary town pigeons would not appear to us to be of such magnitude as to
justify the kind of public campaign on health grounds which your Council
suggests, and we would not consider that there is a case for stimulating further
research into this matter".
In view of the fact that complaints continued to be received, particularly of
the nuisance caused to passers-by under the railway bridges in the vicinity of
Ravenscourt Park, it was decided to employ the services of a specialist firm to clear
four sites in this vicinity. The treatment was to prebait various points in the area
using a narcotic poison. As a result 147 pigeons were caught on Sunday morning,
the 31st May. The firm then cleansed the girders on the bridges and placed
scarecrow strip on the inside of the girders to prevent the pigeons roosting. The
treatment would appear to be successful as no further complaints have as yet
been received.
LICENCES AND REGISTRATIONS
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1954
Hairdressers and Barbers
During the year 13 new applications were received and registered, making
a total of 119 hairdressers and barbers registered in the Borough.
Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933
Pharmacy and Medicines Act, 1941
The names and addresses of 74 retailers were entered on the Council's list
of persons entitled to sell poisons under Part II of the above Acts. Many of these
persons are food retailers and in some instances the poisons sold are only household
disinfectants, but a careful watch is kept on commodities sold under
proprietary names containing other poisons mentioned on the list.
No action was necessary in respect of any offences under the Acts.