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43
SMOKE NUISANCES.
Complaints as to nuisances through the emission of black smoke from shafts
belonging to factories or workshops were dealt with in twenty-eight instances.
Twenty-eight communications were received from the London County Council
respecting twelve premises: In thirteen they related to the same premises—No. 7,
Pearson Street. In all cases the necessary steps were taken to obtain the abatement
of the nuisances, and fourteen intimation notices were served. In one case a statutory
notice was required, which was followed by the Police Court proceedings, already
referred to.
VERMINOUS HOUSES.
The houses in which it was necessary to take measures on account of the
presence of vermin numbered 275, as compared with 197 in 1910, 99 in 1909, 127 in
1908, 111 in 1907, and 103 in 1906. The rooms dealt with numbered 518, as compared
with 386 in 1910, and 157 in 1909. The usual steps were taken to strip the
walls, stop and cleanse them where required, and fumigate with sulphur or spraying
with Lysol when deemed necessary. Bedding and textile articles are removed and
disinfected by the officers of the Borough Council in cases where it is expedient
that they should be so dealt with. The numbers of articles disinfected for vermin
during the year have already been stated (page 37). In the cases of 97 rooms, in
83 of the houses above referred to, the steps taken resulted through information from
the School Authorities.
During the year the homes of 729 children, viz., 422 boys and 307 girls were
notified by the School Authorities, the children being verminous, with a view to the
Sanitary Authority taking steps under the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1904, Part IV., to deal with the homes, the children themselves having been
cleansed at the County Council's Cleansing Station. In a number of instances the
same children were notified more than once, in some instances three or four times.
In a number of cases several children belonging to the same family were notified at
the same time.
The following are the results of the inspections made
In 509 the rooms were clean, or fairly so; in 102 they were dirty; in 82 they
were buggy, and in 36 they were both dirty and infested with bugs. In 482 the bedding
was clean, or fairly so; in 160 it was dirty; in 32 bugs were present; in 16 it was
dirty and buggy, and in 47 instances the bedding showed evidence of lice, i.e., the
lice themselves, or the nits were found. Where lice were observed the bedding was,
in most cases, dirty, and otherwise verminous. In six instances clothing worn by
the children showed evidence of lice. In twelve instances mothers attributed the
alleged presence of lice to the fact that the clothing of the children had been bought