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Enquiries—Outstanding Sanitary Notices.
810 letters were received during the year from the Town
Clerk enquiring whether or not there were any outstanding
sanitary notices with respect to certain properties in the
district. The necessary searches were made and the required
information furnished.
Disinfection.
Number of rooms sprayed and fumigated after infectious
disease 204
Verminous rooms sprayed and fumigated 64
Number of articles disinfected 6,215
Number of verminous premises dealt with 58
889 visits were made by your inspectors and disinfectors
in connection with cases of infectious disease and the necessary
investigations were made in order to furnish the
Medical Officer of Health with the detailed information he
required.
Eradication of Bugs.
The number of houses found to be infested with bugs
and dealt with during 1938 was as follows:—
Council Houses —
Other Houses 58
The methods employed for freeing infested houses from
bed bugs are the use of insecticides combined with fumigation
with sulphur. In all cases where necessary wall and/or
ceiling paper is stripped off and mouldings, skirtings, etc.,
are eased or removed. Bedding and similar articles are removed
and subjected to steam disinfection.
The foregoing methods of disinfestation are carried out
by the Corporation's own staff.
The houses occupied by persons about to remove to
Council dwellings are examined by the Housing Manager or
one of the Sanitary Inspectors and any infested articles
therein are either disinfested or destroyed. In 19 such cases
the furniture was fumigated in special vans by hydrogen
cyanide gas. This fumigation was carried out by contractors
who specialise in this work.
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