Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Edmonton]
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Sanitary Conveniences.
As previously reported in 1952, consideration was given to the question
of the free use of w.c.s in the Council's Public Conveniences. Following the
satisfactory result of the experiments carried out, the Council decided that
free use of w.c.s at women's conveniences be granted, except in cases where
there is no attendant.
Rodent Control.
Under this heading your Senior Sanitary Inspector, as Officer-in-Charge,
Rodent Control, reported as follows: —
The Council have an Assistant Rodent Officer, two Rodent Operators,
the part-time services of a Clerk and appointed the District Sanitary Inspectors
as Rodent Officers.
During the year the treatment of business premises by " Warfarin " was
continued and has proved very successful.
The new method of rodent control has the advantage that the materials
are undetectable by rats and mice, therefore poison shyness does not occur,
and the rodents continue to feed until all are dead. Further, no prebaiting is
necessary and the baiting is continuous.
"Warfarin" destroys the ability of the blood to clot and the rats become
weaker and die painlessly from internal haemorrhage.
The District Sanitary Inspectors in cases where there was a possibility of
the infestation being due to defective drainage visited the premises and tested
the drainage and any defects discovered were dealt with through the usual
channels. In 80 per cent, of the cases defects were discovered and as one can
quite appreciate entailed quite a large amount of work. The following table
gives details of the work carried out during the year.
1.
Type of Property | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Local Authority | Dwelling-houses | Agricultural | All other (including Business and Industrial) | Total | |
I. Number of Properties inspected by the Local Authority during 1953 as a result (a) of notification or (b) otherwise. | (a) 6 | 511 | .. | 33 | 550 |
(b) 2 | 1,224 | .. | 16 | ||
Major 3 | 6 | .. | |||
Minor 1 | 394 | 3 | 398 | ||
3. Number of Properties (under 1) found to be seriously infested by mice | 1 | 94 | .. | 9 | 104 |
4. Number of Infested Properties (under 2 and 3) treated by the Local Authority. | 5 | .. | 23 | 519 | |
5. Number of Notices served under Section 4 (1) Treatment | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
(2) Structural Works (i.e. Proofing) | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |