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
Lewisham 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
DISINFECTION AND PERSONAL CLEANSING
Details of the work carried out during the year are as follows :
| Rooms disinfected or disinfested | 434 |
| Articles disinfected or disinfested | 22,148 |
| Verminous children cleansed | 364 |
| Verminous adults cleansed | 549 |
| Treatment for scabies, children | 189 |
| Treatment for scabies, adults | 120 |
| Articles cleansed | 114.853 |
| Domiciliary bathing * | 5,846 |
| *This figure includes 4.422 home baths carried out by the bathing attendants whose work is more fully reported upon on page 21 | |
ANTI-FLY CAMPAIGN
During the period June to September the usual measures were taken to deal with
the control of fly breeding. Calls were made to potential sources, such as stables,
piggeries and similar premises throughout the Borough. Vacant sites which were
well known to the department as rubbish dumps were visited and deposits of litter
removed and the ground sprayed with insecticide when considered necessary. The
treatment of dustbins with powder supplied by the health department was carried
out by the Borough Engineer & Surveyor. The caretakers of blocks of flats were
supplied with the necessary material to enable them to deal with refuse chutes and
chambers.
PREVENTION OF DAMAGE BY PESTS ACT, 1949
| Type of Property | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local authority | Dwelling houses (including council houses) | All other (including business premises) | Total | Agricultural | |
| Properties in borough | 263 | 84,695 | 17,595 | 102,553 | - |
| Properties inspected as a result of | |||||
| (a) notification | 17 | 2,097 | 166 | 2,280 | -_ |
| (b) survey | 9 | 426 | 13 | 448 | - |
| (c) otherwise | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total inspections | 26 | 2,523 | 179 | 2,728 | - |
| Properties inspected which were found to be infested by:- | |||||
| (a) Rats—major | - | - | - | - | - |
| (b) —minor | 8 | 815 | 66 | 889 | - |
| (c) Mice—major | - | - | - | - | - |
| (d) —minor | 4 | 527 | 43 | 574 | - |
| Infested properties treated | 12 | 1,342 | 109 | 1,463 | - |
| Total treatments (including retreatments) | 44 | 3,209 | 442 | 3,695 | - |
| "Block" control schemes carried out | Nil | ||||