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 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barnet Urban District Council]
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(23)
RODENT CONTROL.
Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949.
A full time rodent operator is employed for treatment of infestations of rats and mice. The table below gives details of the work carried out during the year:-
| Type of Property. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Authority | Dwelling Houses | Agricultural | All other (including Business and Industrial) | Total. | |
| 1. Number of properties inspected during 1954 as a result (a) of notification or (b) other-wise. | (a) 4 | — | 24 | 197 | |
| (b) 5 | 259 | 12 | 42 | 318 | |
| 2. Number of properties (under 1) found to be infested by rats, | Major - | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Minor 4 | 212 | 5 | 227 | ||
| 3. Number of properties (under 1) found to be infested by mice. | Major - | 8 | - | 5 | 13 |
| Minor 4 | - | ||||
| 4. Number of infested properties (under 2 and 3) treated by the Local Authority. | 286 | 9 | 331 | ||
| 63 | |||||
One statutory notice under Section 4 of the Act requiring the execution of
works in connection with an infestation, and one statutory notice under Section
6, requiring a treatment for rat infestation spread over several premises, were
served.
Three informal notices were served requiring removal of accumulations
harbouring rats: all notices were complied with.
More mice infestations than hitherto came to our notice and the results of
investigations being carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food are awaited with interest. From the preliminary findings, it is considered
that the methods at present in use are correct but not necessarily
for the reasons originally conceived.
A test bait was made of 10% of the soil sewer manholes in the district,
from the results of which are based the two maintenance treatments of the sewers
required by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as one of the
conditions under which the Ministry pay of the Council's rodent control
expenses.