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
Chislehurst 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chislehurst]
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41
SEWER INFESTATION
An important part of the work of controlling rats, lies in the
treatment of the Council's sewers. Here rats find plenty of food
and shelter and a convenient system of communication. The whole
of the sewerage system is "test baited" in the spring and on the
information revealed, is based the sections to be dealt with during
the twice yearly treatments subsequently carried out.
The poison Warfarin is used in eradiction and it has proved
much more efficacious in the sewers than zinc phosphide and other
poisons previously used. Here it has the added advantage of low
toxicity.
Particulars of sewer treatments are given below. The figures reflect the same modest increase as was noted with surface infestation:—
| Number of Manholes treated | No. of manholes in which | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Complete takes" | "Partial takes" | "No takes" | ||
| Test bait | 202 | 14 | 7 | 181 |
| 1st Maintenance treatment (April) | 69 | 15 | 19 | 35 |
| 2nd Maintenance treatment (Oct.) | 69 | 2 | 4 | 63 |
| Total number of Inspections and Visits. | |
|---|---|
| Housing | 5,658 |
| Infectious Diseases | 306 |
| Food Premises, Sampling, etc. | 3,630 |
| Factories, Outworkers, etc. | 284 |
| Moveable Dwellings | 537 |
| Smoke Abatement | 200 |
| Shops Act | 389 |
| Rodent Control | 1,056 |
| Public Conveniences | 931 |
| Petroleum Acts | 137 |
| Miscellaneous | 392 |
| 13,520 | |
| Written Notices issued:— | |
| Preliminary: | |
| General Sanitary Defects | 125 |
| Food Premises | 66 |
| Shop Premises | 10 |
| Factories, etc. | 6 |
| Rodent Control | 5 |
| Clean Air Act Notices | 8 |
| Statutory: | |
| Public Health Act | 6 |