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or the U.S.A., Canada, Phillipine Islands, Turkey, and other countries, the
food products sent to these countries must be accompanied by a certificate
signed by myself, and during the year £94 10s. has been received by the
Council for such certificates.
Under the Food and Drugs and Milk and Dairies Acts excellent work
has been done by Mr. Nicholson, which is fully set out in the text of the
Report, as is also the work done by the Borough Analyst.
The Maternity and Child Welfare staff has also done excellent work,
which is summarised in the tables, and a diminished infantile mortality
points to success, and gives encouragement to the workers. The improvement
in the babies is remarkable, and the general cleanliness and well.
being of the children compared with others I have seen, whose parents
will not attend the Centres, or listen to advice, is quite noticeable. Great
credit is due to our staff, and thanks to the voluntary helpers who have
united to bring about this result.
The work of the Tuberculosis Dispensary is fully reported, and a
great deal has been accomplished. This work is exacting and done under
depressing circumstances, and great praise is due to the Dispensary staff
for their perseverance and enthusiasm.
The preventive side of the question receives special attention, but in
an overcrowded area it is an enormous task.
A steady campaign has been waged against rats, and a considerable
number have been caught. In addition many poison baits have been put
down, which must account for an enormous number of these pests being
destroyed. As a result, though certain localities are still infested, there
has been a marked diminution of complaints, and it is a general opinion
that rats are not so prevalent. In most cases the runs have ultimately
been traced to defective drains or sewers, and thus incidentally a great
deal of drainage work has been carried out which otherwise would have
passed undetected. The grey sewer rat is the usual one in this district,
the black rat being rarely caught. The chief defects found in tracing
rats were due to old and worn out drain pipes, old barrel drains not filled
in, and branches of old drains not sealed off from the sewers, which formed
nesting places. These are inevitable in an old district, parts of which
have been rebuilt more than once.
There are in Southwark many large blocks of tenements of various
grades. Some are excellent, and kept in very good condition, but others
are badly planned, dark and poorly kept. One of the difficulties en.