London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Stepney 1939

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]

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989 inspections were made to 810,Council flats during the year, and of this number 163 were found verminous and suitable steps taken for the eradication of vermin either by means of fumigation or spraying with insecticide. The following table gives the summary of work done.

Mr. GreenMiss Whit y
Inspections for vermin614682
Premises found verminous308172
Miscellaneous visits488337
Re-visits168197

Miss Whitty also has charge of Women 's Common Lodging Houses and Child Life Protection investigations. Return of these inspections are to be found under their appropriate headings.

Council.Private.
Premises fumigated38371
Rooms fumigated97501
Premises sprayed172323
Rooms sprayed411463
Sets of furniture treated by H.C.N.20810

A quantity of old furniture, etc. amounting to 14 tons 10 cwts. 2 qtrs.
was collected from houses vacated by tenants on being rehoused by the
Council. This was all destroyed in the incinerator.
The number of :
(a) Council houses (i) found to be infested 163
(ii) disinfested 163
('b) Other houses (i) found to be infested:—
(a) by disinfestation inspection 136
(b) by district sanitary inspectors or
or otherwise 489
(ii) disinfested by Council 625
Three methods are employed for freeing infested houses of bed bugs :—
(a) Stripping woodwork, where necessary, and application of blow-lamp.
(b) Fumigation with sulphur.
(c) Spraying with insecticides, vermicene, or our own preparation.
Cleansing and Disinfection.—183 adults were cleansed during the year
because of vermin. 486 rooms were fumigated because of infectious disease
and 194 as a result of puln onary tuberculosis.
60,636 second-hand articles of clothing were disinfected prior to export.
The total number of articles disinfected by steam for all purposes was 82,485.