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body of my report. In each case a satisfactory result was obtained and
measures were taken to prevent any spread of this unpleasant and contagious
disease.
It is one of the great difficulties in tracing the origin of infection
that the patient and contacts often omit details, which to them seem insignificant
but which, in reality, hold the key to the source of infection. Thus,
often only by reiteration of questions and checking of statements can the
necessary information be obtained.
Housing and General.
The year 1963 was ushered, in by a severe winter with sub-zero temperatures.
Because of great distress caused by flooding due to burst pipes, the
Disinfecting Station staff were placed on "instant call" duty to deal with
wet bedding and clothing. The staff returned to duty in the evenings and at
week-ends. In one part of the Borough arctic conditions brought chaos to a
large block of privately owned buildings consisting of hundreds of dwellings,
when underground drains froze and practically all soil pipes were frozen, and,
as a result, many burst.
During this prolonged cold spell a "red warning" was in operation by
the Emergency Bed Service and hospital admissions were the highest since the
period of fog and the influenza outbreak which followed it in the winter of
1952/53.
Mobile Dwellings.
During the year 221 licences were granted to the London County Council
for the erection of mobile homes on various sites throughout the Borough. Not
only are they providing many families with urgently needed accommodation but,
at the same time, their erection has reduced the number of open sites which
have occasioned so much nuisance and undesirable occupation by caravan trespassers
in the past.
Houses in Multiple Occupation.
Work under this section of the Housing Act produced a number of problems.
There was difficulty on many occasions in establishing not only the ownership
of premises but also the occupation of individual rooms. The frequent changes
of the tenancy of rooms made it necessary for regular re-visiting of all
premises registered under this section of the Housing Act and, in many cases,
this entailed inspection at night.
As the survey of the Borough proceeded and more premises came under
surveillance, it became apparent that in order for satisfactory progress to
be maintained a separate section dealing full-time with the problems of
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