London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Croydon 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
This page requires JavaScript
58
RATS AND MICE DESTRUCTION.
The rat-catcher is a permanent member of the staff, and no
charge is made for his services.
Rats are destroyed by the following methods:—Dogs, poison
baits, traps, and rat varnish smeared on cardboard.
Close co-operation is carried out between the rat-catcher and
he District Sanitary Inspectors.
The following is a summary of the visits paid during 1931
under the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919.
Table XVIII.
| Premises. | No. of Visits made. | No. of Poison and other baits laid. | No. of Rats Killed. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Houses | 1604 | 3941 | 977 | |
| Butchers | 28 | |||
| Other premises where food is prepared or sold | 132 | |||
| Other premises | 217 | |||
| Total | 1981 | 3941 | 977 | |
In addition to the above, 1,487 rats were killed at Corporation refuse tips
by employees of another department.