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London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1953
Section 43 of the above Act states that, on receipt of a report from
the medical officer of health or a sanitary inspector that any aged person
within their district is verminous or is for any other reason in need of
cleansing in order to prevent injury or the danger of injury and is so
enfeebled that he is unable to avail himself of any facilities for cleansing
himself provided by the authority or to cleanse himself properly, the
sanitary authority may on application or with the consent of that
person (but not otherwise) cause him to be cleansed free of charge at the
place where he resides or at any other suitable place. The authority is
enabled to make such arrangements and provide any apparatus required
to exercise these powers.
One person received treatment during the year.
Anti-fly and anti-mosquito campaign
As in previous years four men were employed, working in pairs.
The campaign was held from April 29 to September 27 and Mr. Phillips,
the deputy senior sanitary inspector who is in charge of antipest work,
reports:- "412 bombed sites, grass verges and rear garage ways
were visited on 7 occasions each and necessary treatment was carried
out by spraying or the use of powder. The material collected or
destroyed on the sites consisted of 160 mattresses and approximately 10
tons of miscellaneous articles such as carpets, linoleum, furniture,
clothing, and cushions. 60 gallons of paraffin were used in the destruction
of this material on the sites. As in previous years, a remarkably large
quantity of bread was also found, a positive encouragement to rats."
The cooperation of the Borough Engineer's department was once
again available for the treatment of dustbins with a powder supplied
by the health department. The powder contained gammexane and was
applied to dustbins at the time of refuse collection. Altogether some 4
tons of powder containing 0.5 per cent gamma benzene hexachloride was
used.
7 stables or piggeries, and one plot of land known to be particularly
bad as a rubbish tip were treated as special sites and visited on
20 occasions each, particular attention being paid to the manure recepacles
at the stables and piggeries and the compost heaps on the allotments.
Throughout the campaign regular visits were paid to Lewisham Hospital
to spray the refuse container there and also the site of the