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64
bugs and what measures had been or were being taken for eradicating
them in the administrative County of London and in the County and
Metropolitan Boroughs, and asked for certain information regarding the
Borough of Poplar.
The Committee were informed that a comprehensive reply had been
sent to the Ministry of Health on 25th August.
At the request of the Secretary of the Departmental Committee,
copies of Dr. Young's report of June 1932, which appeared as an Appendix
to the Annual Report, had been forwarded to the Ministry of Health for
the information of the Committee.
During the year 310 complaints were received in respect of 280
premises of which 28 were owned by the Council. In 16 of these latter
woodwork was stripped before spraying with solution "D" or fumigating
with sulphur or "Cimex." The 28 premises were all sprayed with
solution "D" and in 4 instances bedding also was disinfested. Further,
in 9 other houses owned by the Council, woodwork was stripped and
rooms sprayed in consequence of verminous conditions discovered by
Council's workmen during periodical cleansing of, premises. The total
number of Council properties dealt with was 37.
In addition to the above action, 14 orders each for one half-pint of
vermicide were issued to Council tenants for use in houses where only
a single bug had been seen, or for use as a precautionary measure against
re-infestation.
249 certificates relating to verminous premises were submitted to
the Public Health Committee.
It has been noticed that in some infested houses bugs harbour under
the wooden casings of electric light wires. This method of protecting
electric light wires affords an ideal retreat for bugs, and, as occasion
arises, the Electricity Department now takes the opportunity of replacing
wooden casings with metal tubing which is less suited to the habits of
the bug.
The Standard of Domestic Cleanliness.
In spite of the practical application of the advances made in preventive
medicine, a considerable amount of ill-health and suffering prevails.
Some of this is due to the neglect of the most elementary of all rules of
hygiene, namely, the need for cleanliness. The freer use of soap and