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
Holborn 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
34
During 1956, 276 complaints of rat or mice infestation were received and investigated.
The following table shows the work carried out during the year arising from the complaints received, and in connection with 17 blocks which were surveyed.
| Complaint | Block Survey | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business premises inspected | 423 | 364 | 787 |
| Dwelling houses inspected | 215 | 1,144 | 1,359 |
| Local authority premises inspected | 6 | — | 6 |
| Business premises treated | 117 | 1 | 118 |
| Dwelling houses treated | 139 | — | 139 |
| Local authority premises treated | 6 | — | 6 |
| Business premises, inspection visits | 377 | 363 | 740 |
| Business premises, treatment visits | 850 | 9 | 859 |
| Dwelling houses, inspection visits | 133 | 1,144 | 1,277 |
| Dwelling houses, treatment visits | 1,032 | — | 1,032 |
| Local authority, inspection visits | — | — | — |
| Local authority, treatment visits | 48 | — | 48 |
| Total visits | 2,440 | 1,516 | 3,956 |
| Estimated kill (rattus norvegicus) | 164 | — | 164 |
| Bodies recovered (rattus norvegicus) | 78 | — | 78 |
| Estimated kill (rattus rattus) | 316 | — | 316 |
| Bodies recovered (rattus rattus) | 93 | — | 93 |
| Estimated kill (mice) | 1,822 | 28 | 1,850 |
| Bodies recovered (mice) | 425 | 9 | 434 |
Baiting of Sewers
In 1955 the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Infestation Control Division
completed the experimental work in sewer maintenance treatment which it had carried out
in the Borough since 1951. In consequence, in 1956 the Council again undertook the work
of rodent repression in sewers. Two treatments were carried out during the year using
sausage rusk plus 2½% zinc phosphide, with the following results:—
Treatment
No. of Manholes
No. of
bodies
found
No.
Date
Baited
Showing pre-bait
take
Total poison
take
1 January, 1956 217 202 160 74
2 June, 1956 230 1 63 1 23 82
Disinfecting Station
During 1956 the Council's new disinfecting station was completed on the site of the
old one in the Council's Yard in Stukeley Street, and came into operation on the 3rd
September.