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driven by a petrol engine. This method is utilised in the Council's disinfestation scheme, and a van
has been equipped to carry the apparatus to and from premises to be disinfested. During 1951, 509
dwellings, involving 857 rooms, were disinfested. Included in the number of dwellings treated were 81
requisitioned premises and 13 municipal flats where bugs were found. Altogether 170 requisitioned
dwellings were, on becoming vacant, inspected to ascertain if they were vermin infested.
It is also appropriate to include in this report a note on the working of the scheme since its
inception, together with an indication of the results obtained. Operations were commenced on the
1st July, 1948, and figures for that month and the three following months have been extracted and
tabulated, together with those for the corresponding months in the three years 1949-1951. These
months have been chosen as representative of the time of year when bugs are in their most active
state.

It will be seen from Table 4 that the number of rooms affected in 1948 was comparatively high for
the number of infestations. A peak was reached in 1949, when the number of infestations reported
was large compared with the other three periods under review and when the greatest quantity of
insecticide was used. This was due to the publicity campaign at the time.
In 1950 there was a marked decline in the number of rooms infested, with a 50 per cent. reduction
in the consumption of insecticide, and it will be noted that the 1951 figures were remarkably similar.
It is evident from the reduced number of rooms per infestation that the degree of incidence is lessening
generally.
It would appear that already a substantial reduction in the number and extent of verminous
infestations has been effected, and there are indications that a continuation of the scheme will bring
even better results.
Treatment of verminous furniture by hydrocyanic acid gas, which has been carried out, in specially
constructed vans, under contract by the Council for many years, has been continued, more particularly
in the case of removals to fresh housing accommodation. In 1951 the furniture of 196 families (of
whom 179 were being rehoused) was dealt with by this method. In addition, 5,018 verminous articles
of bedding were disinfected by steam.
In June an article of clothing handed in at the receiving depot of a firm of dry cleaners was
subsequently found to be infested with lice. This led to a heavy infestation not only among the articles
in the receiving depot but among those already sent for cleaning to two factories outside the Borough.
In all some 850 garments were affected. Thorough disinfestation of the factories and all clothing was
carried out under the supervision of the medical officers of health of the areas concerned, and the
receiving depot was closed for two days and similarly treated.
Verminous Persons.—The Council's Cleansing Station in Lisson Grove dealt with 1,079 vermin-infested
persons: adults 535 (men 493, women 42); children 544 (boys 109, girls 435).
Following an arrangement which has been in force for many years, the free issue of 2 oz. bottles
of medicated (lethane) hair oil for the control of head lice was continued, more particularly to meet
the needs of adults where it is considered that treatment could usefully be undertaken at home.
Though the demand for the preparation has never been great, stocks are still kept at the Welfare
Centres of the London County Council and at the Borough Council's Cleansing Station, where they
are available to the women sanitary inspectors, health visitors and school nurses for distribution in
suitable cases.
Shelter.—It was not found necessary during the year to make use of the shelter accommodation
provided at No. 217, Lisson Grove, under section 195 (4) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936,
for families temporarily dispossessed of their homes. The room set aside for this purpose was, however,
utilised for other public health work.