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20 visits were also paid to both this Council's and the London
County Council's blocks of flats where dustchutes are used. 189
dustchutes with 628 openings were sprayed. One private block
containing 9 chutes with 27 openings was also included in this treatment.
The caretakers of this Council's flats were also provided with sprayers,
insecticide and powder, for use in connection with the containers at
the base of the dustchutes, particularly after these had been cleaned
out, and for the sites of the bins used for the storage of kitchen waste.
Three-quarters of a hundredweight gammexane powder and 35 gallons
of 5 percent DDT were used. In addition treatment by spraying was
carried out in 19 houses by staff from the disinfecting station following
complaints from the householders concerned. In a number of cases
a supply of insecticide containing 5 percent DDT was also left with
the householders for use in their own sprayers, a total of 9 gallons of
insecticide being dispensed in this way.
The assistance of the department was also requested in the autumn
in one case where a large number of flies were interfering with the
work in a factory. These flies were identified as coelopa frigida (seaweed
fly) and spraying was carried out by the disinfectors.
12 static water tanks and sections of the rivers where the water
had become stagnant were sprayed with 5 percent DDT in kerosene
base as an anti-mosquito precaution on 6 occasions.
Materials used in the main campaign were as follows :—
General spraying 840 gallons tip dressing (approximately
4i percent DDT in aqueous suspension).
Static tanks, etc.:—65 gallons of 5 percent DDT in kerosene.
Accumulations of rubbish, dog excreta, etc.:—401bs. of
10 percent DDT powder and 771bs. of gammexane powder.
Laboratory facilities
Specimens for examination concerning bacteriology and epidemiology
in relation to the diagnosis, prevention and control of infectious
disease are sent to the Southern Group Laboratory at Park Hospital,
or to the laboratory at County Hall. This service is provided by the
Public Health Laboratory Service which is directed by the Medical
Research Council, and apart from examinations of nose and throat
swabs, sputum, faeces, urine, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, exudates, swabs
from situations other than the nose and throat, washings of infected
cavities, hair and scales for ringworm, biopsy material for trichina larvae
and so on, provision is also made for the examination of water, shellfish,
sewage, milk, icecream, retail food and certain other materials.
Specimens from general practitioners are in the main sent to the
Town Hall and taken by messenger daily to the laboratory.
Samples of milk may be submitted by the Department for examination
for pathogenic bacteria in relation to suspected cases of outbreaks
of milkborne disease; for tubercle bacilli in certain cases and for grading
under the Milk (Special Designations) Regulations. Samples of icecream
are submitted for evidence of bacterial contamination and for grading,