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

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Holborn 1928

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

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24
Suitable poisons were sold in the Public Health Department and an increased
quantity of rat baits laid in the sewers under the Council's control. It is customary
to put down about 400 baits per week. During Ra,t Week the number was
increased to about 1,300. The sewermen reported that dead rats are not often
seen and they expressed the view that when dead the rats are washed away down
the sewers, and further that there has been a decrease in the number of rats
seen in the sewers during the past few years.
In the course of the inspections made in connection with Rat Week, infestations
were found at 35 premises. In connection with this the following action
was taken by the owners or occupiers of the premises:—
Professional rat catchers employed 7
Traps and poisons used 18
Rat proofing carried out 5
Dogs and cats used 4
Subsequent visits disclosed the results of this action as follows:—
No rats seen 23
Occasional rats but numbers considerably reduced 12
Rats from Disused Drains.
In tile year 1921 the Public Health Committee had under consideration the question of
nuisances arising from the presence of rats, where the access of the vermin to the premises
concerned was found to result from failure to seal off disused drains. On the recommendation
of the Committee, the Council, at its meeting on the 23rd November, 1921, decided to
address communications to the Minister of Health, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
and the London County Council, urging that legislation should be introduced to provide for
placing on owners or occupiers of property an obligation to notify the Local Sanitary
Authority on ceasing to use any drain or similar sanitary fitting and for making it an offence
to cease to use any such drain or other similar sanitary fitting without efficiently sealing
it off.
Copies of this resolution were also sent to the various Metropolitan, City and Borough
Councils.
A number of Local Authorities in London agreed with and supported the representations
made by the Council, and clauses to deal with the matter were included in the London County
Council (General Powers) Bill, 1923; points of difficulty arose, and the clauses were
withdrawn. The matter was further considered by the London County Council and the
various Metropolitan Local Authorities, and a suitable clause was agreed to and included in
the London County Council (General Powers) Bill, 1926. The part of the Bill, however,
dealing with the matter was withdrawn with a view to further evidence being obtained of
the need for the provision.
Your Medical Officer of Health was asked to furnish some of the evidence required, and
clauses dealing with the matter were again included in the London County Council (General
Powers) Bill, 1928. The Bill having been read a first time, was referred to the Local Legislation
Committee of the House of Commons, and your Medical Officer of Health was asked to
give evidence before the Committee in support of the representations originally made by the
Holborn Borough Council. Evidence was prepared giving a number of specific cases where
rat infestation had occurred from disused unsealed drains. When the part of the Bill dealing