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82 Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1936.
Eradication of Bed Bugs.
During the year 315 houses were found to be infested with
bed bugs and notices were served on the responsible persons.
All the premises were disinfested. In addition 36 Council houses
were also found to be infested and were dealt with.
The methods employed for freeing infested houses is—the
stripping of all paper from the walls, the removal of all wood mouldings
and skirtings and the application of a blow lamp to the room
surfaces. Sulphur and "Cimex" candles are often used by house
owners and spraying of rooms with "D" solution sometimes done
by the disinfecting staff of the Council. Infested bedding is removed
to the Disinfecting Station and treated with steam.
To ensure that the belongings of tenants are free from vermin
before removal to Council houses, where necessary the bedding
and clothing is disinfested by steam at the Council's Disinfecting
Station and the furniture disinfested by means of Hydrogen Cyanide
gas generated in vans. The latter process is carried out by a Contractor.
It was employed in 74 instances in 1936.
Statement of Work done under the Rag Flock
Act, 1911.
There is one factory in the Borough where rag flock is manufactured.
This factory is inspected under the provisions of the
Factory and Workshop Act.
No samples of Rag Flock were taken during the year, as the
method of rag flock manufacture is considered satisfactory.
Removal of Aged, Infirm or Diseased Persons to Institutions.
Powers for the removal of cases of this nature are given in
Section 28 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act,
1928, and one such case, in Putney, was removed during the year.
Mortuaries.
During the year only 12 bodies have been removed to the
Mortuaries in the Borough, two to the Streatham and 10 to the
Wandsworth Mortuary. No bodies were taken to the Mortuary
in Clapham.