View report page

Provision of mid-day meals to those living alone, who, for one reason or another, can no
longer concern themselves in shopping; preparing meals, etc.
Arranging of Handicraft Classes, including Old Time Dancing, for those who are still
sufficiently active enough to enjoy such amenities.
Providing on loan, wireless and television sets (donated to this Association) to home-bound
elderly persons, to prevent them becoming morose and from feeling entirely cut off from the
outside world.
Providing Chiropody Services both at Clinics or within their own homes.
ANTI-POLIOMYELITIS CLINIC
Since the autumn of 1958 the Civil Defence Control accommodation in the sub-basement of
the office block at Guildhall, has, by courtesy of the Chairman of the Civil Defence Committee
and with the co-operation of the Civil Defence Department, been at the disposal of the London
County Council Divisional Medical Officer for Area 5 for use as an anti-poliomyelitis clinic.
Throughout this period attendances have justified always one and sometimes two sessions
a week.
From early in 1960 supplies of vaccine have been sufficient to enable volunteers of up to
forty years of age to be invited to avail themselves of facilities for innoculation, and during the
year 6,441 persons received initial vaccinations as compared with 20,000 in 1959 when the clinic
was available only to persons of less than twenty-five years of age.
In comparing the figures for these two years it must be remembered that in April, 1959 a well
known professional footballer died from poliomyelitis. There is no doubt that in consequence of
this death many hundreds of young persons, who would not otherwise have troubled to do so,
presented themselves for vaccination. It may well be, therefore, that this one death saved the
lives of many young people who might but for this vaccination have died from poliomyelitis.
RODENT CONTROL
Mr. J. Carter, the Rodent Officer, reports as follows
In compliance with the provisions of the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949, it is the
duty of every Local Authority to take such steps as may be necesssry to secure as far as practicable
that their district is kept free from rats and mice and in particular —
(a) from time to time to carry out such inspections as may be necessary for the purpose
aforesaid ;
(b) to destroy rats and mice on land of which they are the occupier and otherwise to keep
such land so far as practicable free from rats and mice;
(c) to enforce the duties of owners and occupiers of land under Part I of this Act, and to
carry out such operations as are authorised by those provisions;
(d) to keep such records and make such reports relating to their functions under this part
of this Act as may be required by any direction given by the Minister rof Agriculture,
Fisheries & Food.
For the purpose of implementing the aforementioned provisions, the organisation and procedure
of the Rodent Control Department was similar to that of previous years, comprising
inspection of properties to ascertain the presence of infestation by rats and mice, treatment of
any such properties found to be infested, recommendation and supervision of structural and
incidental proofing, and periodical maintenance control measures for the destruction of rats in
the City sewers.
No difficulty has arisen necessitating statutory action to resolve the problem, and the
response to the policy of seeking the co-operation of owners and occupiers has been most
satisfactory.
A total of 3,579 occupancies and properties were inspected, such properties ranging from
new buildings in the course of construction, riverside food warehouses and adjoining premises,
public and private catering establishments, blocks of offices, shops and factories to domestic
dwellings.
A major proportion of the work comprised inspection of defined areas for the purpose of
instituting collective action. In instances of individual notification of infestation, or request for
assistance in control measures, the remaining occupancies and adjoining properties were inspected
and where necessary combined action taken.
Altogether, 538 complaints were received, either by notification or as the result of inspection,
and of this total 520 infestations were subject of control measures. In 68 instances no action
other than advice was found necessary. These were in the main cases where an odd stray mouse
had been seen, in most instances by the office cleaner, and the often long procedure of investigation
still had to be applied. Such cases do, however, indicate the increasing awareness of
employers and employees of even very minor nuisances, and their readiness to seek advice and
12