London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Holborn 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]
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Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919.
| WARD. | Number of premises inspected. | Number rat infested. | Action for Rat Repression. | RESULT. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traps. | Poisons. | Rat catchers. | Dogs. | Cats. | Proofing | |||||
| 10 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | Numbers reduced | 1 | |
| 25 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | Free | 2 | ||
| Numbers reduced | ||||||||||
| c. | 17 | — | 3 | 9 | Free | |||||
| Rats occasionally seen | 1 | |||||||||
| d. | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | Free | 6 | ||
| Rats occasionally seen | — | |||||||||
| e. | 24 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 13 | Free | 14 | |
| F. | 56 | 24 | 2 | 15 | 5 | — | — | 17 | Free | 22 |
| Numbers reduced | ||||||||||
| g. | 32 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 4 | Free | 4 | ||
| Numbers reduced | ||||||||||
| 11 | 7 | — | 2 | 3 | Free | 15 | ||||
| Rats occasionally seen | 1 | |||||||||
| 25 | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | — | Free | ||||
| Rats occasionally seen | 3 | |||||||||
| 280 | 106 | 23 | 41 | 16 | — | 6 | 66 | Free | 85 | |
| Numbers reduced Rats only occasionally | ||||||||||
| seen | ||||||||||
The general arrangements made by the Council for rat repression included :—
(1) Systematic baiting in the Council's sewers, the bait used being small cubes of bread
soaked in liquid extract of red squills and " Dalroc " which are found to be more effective
than barium carbonate. The baits were laid in the sewers weekly during the year and four
times during the first week in November. Thirteen gallons of the poison were used, making
12,000 baits. The men who work in the sewers report that the baits were taken and dead
rats occasionally seen.
(2) The services of the Council's workmen were available for rat proofing subject to the
cost of such service and the material used being defrayed by the owners or occupiers of the
premises where the work was carried out.
(3) Arrangements were continued with firms of rat catchers for dealing with rat infested
premises at the cost of the occupiers. This arrangement has proved useful and reports are
from time to time received from the rat catchers employed respecting their inspections of
the premises and the work ultimately carried out.