London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Barnet 1968
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barnet]
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"Wild" or "feral" pigeons are now a widespread pest, and the problem of reducing
them in number is made intractable by the well meant but misplaced kindness of
people who regularly provide food at all seasons.
A charge is made for disinfection and disinfestation, with the exception of terminal
disinfection carried out after a notifiable disease and the cleansing of verminous
persons.
The following table shows the work done by the Disinfectors:—
| Disinfection | |
|---|---|
| Rooms | 67 |
| Articles | 258 |
| Ants | 30 |
| Bugs | 26 |
| Cockroaches | 17 |
| Beetles | 8 |
| Fleas | 31 |
| Lice — Scabies | 4 |
| Leatherjackets | 1 |
| Flying maggots | 1 |
| Silver fish | 3 |
| Premises | 4 |
| Articles | 6 |
MORTUARIES
The public mortuary serving the Borough is situated in the North Circular Road,
N.3., adjacent to the Disinfecting Station.
In the course of the year 522 bodies were received in the mortuary.
EXHUMATIONS
Licences issued by the Home Office for the removal of human remains under the
Burial Act 1857 state, inter alia, "It is considered advisable that the Medical Officer
of Health should be notified whenever such a licence is granted in order that he may be
in a position to take any action that may be necessary in the interests of public health."
Fourteen exhumations were carried out during the year and, where appropriate, were
observed by a Public Health Inspector, to ensure compliance with the conditions in the
licence.
66