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(5) Measures taken by way of supervision or education of tenants to prevent
infestation or re-infestation after cleansing:—
A woman sanitary inspector (Miss Margaret Sharp) devotes the whole
of her time to the matters referred to in this heading. The following
report submitted by her on the progress made with regard to vermin disinfestation
since her appointment in November, 1934, is of special value
and interest:—
“ My work has mainly been directed to the modern working-class
flats in the Borough, although I have on occasions given advice and help
to the tenants of tenement houses. In the latter type of property the
work has not met with great success, owing to structural defects in the
houses due to age, which makes the task of complete disinfestation almost
impossible. In the flats, however, a marked improvement in the conditions
has resulted and although the state of perfection aimed at has not yet
been reached, I feel that with continued help and advice to the tenants
further progress will be made.
During the year 1935, 303 Borough Council and London County
Council flats were examined by the sanitary inspectors. The inspections
revealed that 201 of these flats were verminous either in the structure or
the contents or both.
When the treatment of the tenants' furniture with hydrogen cyanide
was commenced, it was thought that it would probably be sufficient to treat
those articles of furniture in which evidence of vermin had been found.
While the furniture was away for disinfestation the rooms were sprayed
with an insecticide. As a result of this procedure, in 29 cases only were all
the effects removed ; in 80 cases, only the articles showing evidence of
vermin were taken, and in 92 cases the evidence was so slight that it was
thought that the tenants would be able to cleanse the verminous articles
themselves. The reason for the last-named decision was that although
evidence of vermin was discovered, it appeared to be an old infestation
which had in all probability been cured.
In my following-up work in 1936, after I had advised the tenants how
to cleanse their furniture and to try to remove all evidence of vermin, I
found vermin in 96 cases. In every instance live bugs were found, often in
furniture which had not been treated. This indicated that the procedure
adopted of removing part only of the contents of flats was unsuccessful.
In 1937, bugs were found in 70 of the flats, the infestation in many cases
being slight, and due partly to second-hand verminous articles which had
been acquired.
In December, 1935, 60 new flats were occupied by tenants who had had
the whole of their furniture treated with hydrogen cyanide and the bedding
steam disinfested on removal from their old houses. During re-inspection
of these flats in 1936, I found vermin in 17. In 12 cases second-hand
verminous furniture had been taken into the flats after moving in. In
1937, I still found vermin in 6 of these flats and there were 9 fresh cases in
other flats, 4 of them being due to second-hand furniture.
In no instance had the infestation become really serious, and I am
hopeful that these tenants will, with help and advice, be able to rid their
homes completely of vermin.
In February, 1937, another block of 72 flats was occupied, and the
whole of the tenants' furniture was removed and treated with hydrogen
cyanide and the bedding steam disinfested before delivery. During the
inspections of 1937, vermin, chiefly one or two bugs, were found in 8 cases,
one being due to a second-hand article. In no case was the trouble serious.
On the last inspection, no bugs were found.
In 1936, 196 flats belonging to private owners were inspected. In 59
cases where vermin were found, the whole or part of the contents were