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
Lewisham 1968
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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ANTI-FLY CAMPAIGN
During the period June to September, the usual measures were taken to deal with
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. The treatment of dustbins with powder supplied by
the health department was carried out by the Borough Engineer & Surveyor's staff.
The caretakers of blocks of flats were supplied with material to enable them to deal
with refuse chutes and chambers.
PREVENTION OF DAMAGE BY PESTS ACT, 1949
The following table shows rat and mice destruction carried out by pest operatives
during 1968. No special comment is called for except to say that this is a continuing
problem.
| Local authority | Dwelling houses (including council houses) | All other (including business premises) | Total | Agricultural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Properties inspected as a result of | |||||
| (a) notification | 12 | 3,099 | 262 | 3,373 | — |
| (b) survey | — | 314 | 9 | 323 | — |
| (c) otherwise | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total inspections | 12 | 3,413 | 271 | 3,696 | — |
| Properties inspected which were found to be infested by:— | |||||
| (a) Rats—major | — | — | — | — | — |
| (b) —minor | 5 | 963 | 102 | 1,070 | — |
| (c) Mice—major | — | — | — | — | — |
| (d) —minor | 2 | 894 | 58 | 954 | — |
| Infested properties treated | 7 | 1,857 | 160 | 2,024 | — |
| Retreatments | 23 | 2,951 | 428 | 3,402 | — |
| "Block" control schemes carried out | 7, involving 323 premises | ||||
SWIMMING BATHS
There are 5 public swimming baths in the Borough. The following table shows
details of the laboratory tests taken during the year.
| Bath | Number of tests | Variation of chlorine (p.p.m.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladywell | 9 | 0.00 — 3.80 | |
| Forest Hill North | 9 | 0.00 — 2.50 | |
| Forest Hill South | 9 | 0.04 — 2.50 | |
| Laurie Grove Large | 4 | 0.04 — 2.00 | |
| Laurie Grove Small | 9 | 0.04 — 5.00 | |
| Laurie Grove South | 9 | 0.03 — 1.20 | |
| Downham | 9 | 0.06 — 1.60 | |
| Bellingham (open air) | 2 | 0.02 — 0.25 |
The water used for these baths is supplied by the Metropolitan Water Board and is
sterilised by the breakpoint chlorination method, sodium carbonate and sodium
metephosphate being used to control acidity and to keep the pH above 7.2. Colorimetric
tests for free chlorine and pH value are also made at the baths at 9 a.m.,
1 p.m., and 6 p.m. on weekdays and at 9 a.m. and 12 noon on Sundays, the results
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