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
Islington 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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(a) the application of any form of specified treatment ;
(b) the carrying out of any structural repairs or other specified works and
in addition the Notice may prescribe the times at which any treatment
required by the Notice is to be carried out.
The Council is now authorised to take such steps as they consider necessary or
expedient for the purpose of destroying rats or mice entering premises which are in
the occupation of different persons without serving Notices on the occupiers or
owners of the premises.
Part II of the Act provides similar provisions in respect of Food undertakings
but in such cases where such premises are infested, Notice may be sent to the
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries who is authorised to take the necessary action.
Action under the Act may be taken in respect of rats, mice, insects or mites in
numbers or under conditions which involve an immediate or potential risk or substantial loss of or damage to food.
Details of the work performed by the Rodent Control Section are given as follows:—
| Number of complaints received | 1,894 | |
| Number of investigations carried out | 5,153 | |
| Number of infestations found were | 2,062 | |
| (Comprising 216 business premises, 2 Local Authority premises and 1,844 Dwellings). | ||
| Number of smoke tests carried out were | 130 | |
| Treatments carried out were:- | ||
| Dwellings | 1,844 with 12,229 baits being laid | |
| Local Authority premises | 2 with 14 baits being laid | |
| Business premises | 104 with 936 baits being laid | |
| Post bait treatments in respect of dwellings and business premises | 1,098 with 10,720 baits being laid | |
| 3,048 | 23,899 | |
| The number of agreements sent out | 125 | |
| The number of agreements returned | 104 | |
Percentage of Ship Rats : ½ per cent. of complaints received.
A number of business premises continue to be dealt with by the occupiers'
own staff or servicing firms. Where this procedure is adopted the premises are kept
under supervision to ensure that the treatment is satisfactory.
The work carried out by this Section of the Department demands patience and
in order to bring cases to a satisfactory conclusion it is sometimes necessary for
investigations to be made over considerable periods.
Damage due to enemy action does not assist these duties for it is often difficult
to trace the origin of an infestation due to a defective, disused or unsealed drain.
In one case where a house was continually troubled with rats it was only after
excavations had been made by the Council after prolonged and difficult investigations
that a defective drain was found belonging to another property but which resulted
in rats finding their way into the premises in question.
In another case after extensive drain tests were carried out with the assistance
of the L.C.C., a defective brick barrel drain was found to exist under the property a
few houses away from where the complaints were received.