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Diseased or Infirm Persons. -It was necessary to obtain Court Orders for the removal to hospital or
a home of seven infirm and physically incapacitated old people (six women, aged 75 to 90 years,
and one man of 76 years), who were living alone under insanitary conditions and whose relatives or
friends were unable to assist them. This action was taken under the National Assistance Act, 1948,
in two cases and under the National Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1951 in five.
Burial or Cremation of the Dead.—Under the provisions of section 50 of the National Assistance Act,
1948, it is a duty of the Council to cause to be buried or cremated the body of any person who has
died or been found dead in the Borough, where no other suitable arrangements for disposal of the
body have been or are being made. The arrangements set up when the section became operative on
the 5th July, 1948, continued to work satisfactorily and during 1954 fourteen burials and three
cremations were undertaken by the Council.
Disinfestation.—During the year, 436 dwellings (involving 820 rooms) were disinfested, an insecticide
based on D.D.T. being used. Included in the number of dwellings treated were eighty-seven
requisitioned premises and thirty-nine municipal fiats where bugs were found. Altogether 185 requisitioned
dwellings were, on becoming vacant, inspected for evidence of vermin.
Treatment of verminous furniture by hydrocyanic acid gas in specially constructed vans, which
lias been carried out by the Council through a contractor for many years, has been continued, more
particularly in the case of removals to fresh housing accommodation. In 1954 the furniture of seventyeight
families (of whom seventy were being rehoused) was dealt with by this method. In addition.
4,158 verminous articles of bedding were disinfested by steam.
Verminous Persons.—The Council's Cleansing Station in Lisson Grove dealt with 1,014 verminous
persons : adults 641 (men 553, women 88) ; children 373 (boys 58, girls 315).
Shelter.—It was not 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.
Rodent Control.—Complaints numbered 743, and 570 infestations (ship rat 98, common rat 186.
mice 286) were discovered. Treatment was carried out by the Council's staff at 570 premises. The
scheme of block treatment commenced in 1949 was continued and thirty-one blocks involving 2,118
premises were dealt with. The original programme is nearing completion and by the end of the year
only a further 15 blocks were waiting survey. The scheme has proved to be of great value in regard
to the control of rats and mice generally and in discovering unreported infestations at places of potential
harbourage. The number of rats in the Borough has now reached a relatively low level but mice
continue to be troublesome. The known "black spots" will be re-surveyed and given special attention.
The work entailed is tedious and non-spectacular and the co-operation of the public and of the business
community in the Borough has been most valuable and has played a large part in the success of the
block control scheme. For the most part, owners and occupiers have willingly carried out rat proofing
work at their premises and have remedied defects. It was only once necessary to take formal action
under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949 but 72 informal notices were served and 10 statutory
notices relating to drainage defects were issued under the Public Health (London) Act, 1936.
Routine baiting of sewers again took place in January (at 356 points) and again in June (349
points) when recorded poison " take " was 66 per cent, and 57 per cent, respectively.
Dog Nuisance.—Contraventions of the bye-law relating to the fouling of footways by dogs reported
by the street nuisance inspector resulted in twenty-four summonses. In all of these, convictions were
secured and penalties imposed.
Pigeons.—Section 121 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, empowers the Council, for the purpose
of abating or mitigating nuisance, annoyance or damage, to arrange for the seizure or destruction
of pigeons in excess of such numbers as the Council consider reasonable. Accordingly, an authorised
pigeon catcher, who operates under the direction of the Medical Officer of Health, has been employed
for many years, without cost to the Council, to seize and dispose of pigeons congregating at places
in the Borough to which he is directed. During 1954, six complaints of nuisance from these birds
were, after investigation, referred to the pigeon catcher.
Noise.—Forty-eight complaints of noise, involving thirty-five premises, were received. Of these,
nearly one half alleged nuisance from machinery at factories, and this problem is referred to under
the paragraph " Factories " on page 17. The remainder concerned a wide variety of supposed causes.