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1938 50
Apparently as a result of our propaganda a resident of the Borough called with
two mice he had caught in his premises. One mouse was still alive and the other
was dead, and both showed disease of the skin, the dead one very markedly so,
particularly about the head. The mice had been caught by a stray cat the previous
evening. There was a history in the family extending back about two years previously
of a child with a skin affection, loosely stated to be ringworm, and later another
child, and at the time of the visit a child was suffering from an affection of the skin
of the leg. It being naturally suspected that the affection in the dead mouse was
likely to be favus, the mice were sent for bacteriological examination, and the report
came back that the infection was favus parasite Achorion Schonleinii ; but the dermatologist
who treated the last affected child reported that the particular form of favus
. was Achorion Quinckeanum, which particularly affects mice and cats. The particular
form of disease thus spread from the mice to the human being is said to be somewhat
prevalent in Poland, and there is said to have been a few cases in Scotland. The
dermatologist wrote, as my letter, warning the parent of the mice being infected, was
produced to him, that he considered the case of the particular infection to be quite
unique in his long experience. The mice referred to were brought just after Rat
Week, and the investigations continued into the early part of the following year.
As regards the work on rats throughout the year, this followed our usual procedure
of investigation of complaints received and advice given. Particular attention
is drawn in cases where rats and even mice are found due to the neglect of householders
who fail to clear away thoroughly food fragments, or who keep their waste consisting
of foodstuffs, uncovered, thus attracting rats or mice. The staff made a thorough
investigation of a case somewhat of this nature which received some publicity in the
public press. Two children received treatment at the out-patients' department of a
hospital, having been bitten, although not seriously so, by a rat or rats. From our
investigation it is believed that these young children were each given, after being put
to bed, a very thick slice of buttered bread. They smeared this well over their faces,
only partially eating it, and went to sleep. The family were in the other room,
and at first failed to hear the cries from the next room. It would seem that a stray
rat had entered and, whilst eating the bread and butter, was apparently disturbed
by the involuntary movements of the children, and b't one child on the nose and the
other child on the thumb. The complaint regarding rats was 'phoned to the Public
Health Department on the following morning. The floors were taken up and a rat's
nest was found in the back basement of the building. The drain test gave negative
results in this and the surrounding houses, so it is inferred that the nest was that of a
stray rat probably from the adjacent canal.
Appended is a statistical summary of the rat work done during the year:
During the year 1938 the number of complaints received was 251
Number of private houses visited under the Rats and Mice
(Destruction) Act 393
Number of shops and factories visited 73
Total premises inspected 466
Street work visits numbered 217
Number of premises proved to be rat infested 156
Number of premises in which infestation was due to mice 18
Number of notices served 113
Drain defects remedied as a result of complaint of rat trouble 23