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
Shoreditch 1924
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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28
RATS AND MICE DESTRUCTION ACT, 1919.
The following is a summary indicating the work done by the Rat Officer with a view to giving effect to the provisions of the above-mentioned Act:—
| Number of complaints (rats) | 268 |
| ,, ,, (mice) | 32 |
| „ visits and revisits | 4,520 |
| „ rats caught in traps or killed by dogs | 880 |
| ,, rats found dead through poisoning | 224 |
| „ premises cleared of rats | 279 |
| „ premises cleared of mice | 21 |
| ,, pavements taken up, fronting houses | 36 |
| ,, drains reconstructed and repaired | 17 |
| ,, drains tested by Sanitary Inspectors | 29 |
| ,, floors of kitchens, sculleries, passages and coal cellars concreted | 54 |
The poisons used included 2,000 packets of Ratquit, which provided some
40,120 baits, 23 lbs. of Londovus, 447 tins of Rodine, and 504 of Rondovus. Experience
shows that variation in the poisoned baits used is very frequently necessary.
The rat-infested localities in the Borough did not differ materially from those of the
previous year.
HOUSING.
The special house-to-house inspection of the dwelling houses in the Borough
is referred to on p. 25 and also in the Appendix (pp. 68-69).
About the middle of the year a start was made on the area included in the
Ware Street housing scheme by the clearance of a site occupied by a number of
houses at the Kingsland Road end of Wilmer Gardens and Phillip Street, some
12 four-roomed houses in the former and 17 five-roomed in the latter being
demolished. By the end of the year the erection of one of the blocks of dwellings
(39 separate lettings) contemplated in the scheme was well in progress, and so far
as can be foreseen there appears no reason now why the work which is being carried
out by the London County Council should not be steadily proceeded with until
completion. Three four-roomed cottages were demolished in Pritchard's Road.
These were on part of a site to be occupied by a block of 28 dwellings to be erected
for the Borough Council. These dwellings were in process of construction at the
end of the year.
The houses let in lodgings or occupied by members of more than one family
on the register at the end of the year numbered 305,12 having been added to and three
struck off. Some 1,917 visits of inspection were made in connection with these
houses. In 338 instances intimations relating to various matters requiring attention
were sent to the persons responsible for dealing with the same, and in 95 statutory
notices were served by order of the Sanitary Authority.