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Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933.
The registration and supervision of sellers of Part II poisons (i.e., other than
registered pharmacists) is carried out by the Council under the above Act. The
number of persons entered on the Council's list at the end of the year was 151.
Rodent Control.
There were 802 complaints of rats and 351 of mice received during 1954, and
in addition to the investigation of these complaints the systematic inspection under
the " block control" system was continued.
A total of 18,198 premises were inspected during the year and of these 15,646
were under the "block control" system. The number of properties found to be
infested by rats or mice was 1,974; this included 190 business and industrial
premises.
Where the cause of the infestation appears to be due to defective drains or
other defects in the building the owner is requested to effect the necessary repairs.
In this connection the Department carried out 40 smoke tests on suspected defective
drains at rat infested premises, and these tests produced evidence of 24 defective
drains.
A total of 31 "block control" schemes was carried out during the year. As
in previous years the Council continued its practice of arranging free treatment
in respect of infestations in private dwellings. A charge is made for treatment
carried out by the Council at business and industrial premises.
With the co-operation of the Borough Engineer's Department, two sewer
treatments and one test baiting were undertaken during 1954, and in this way the
number of rats in the sewers has been kept under control. The number of "takes"
recorded at the December treatment showed a fall of nine per cent. on the previous
treatment. This was exceptional and difficult to explain. There was heavy rainfall
at the beginning of the treatment which may have restricted the movement of the
rats along the sewers. This treatment took place in a slum clearance area where
the sewers have always been heavily infested. Large numbers of the houses were
vacant and the rats have disappeared Without any evidence of having moved to
another area. The poison used in both treatments was zinc phosphide.
Hairdressers and Barbers Premises.
It is provided by Section 18 of the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1954, that as from a day which may be appointed no person shall carry on
the business of Hairdresser or Barber at any premises in a Metropolitan Borough
unless he and the premises are registered by the Borough Council.
These provisions do not apply to premises where a person attends to a
customer in his own home, or on a person's own private premises (other than a
shop or saloon to which the public resort), so long as the hairdressing is not carried
out substantially as a full-time occupation and the person does not employ any
other person to assist him in the business.
The Borough Council may make Byelaws for the purpose of securing the
cleanliness of premises registered under this Section, and of the instruments, tools,
materials and equipment used therein, and the cleanliness of persons employed
in such premises with regard to both themselves and their clothing. Penalties are
provided for contraventions of such Byelaws.
Uniform Byelaws for use by Metropolitan Boroughs wishing to take advantage
of these new powers are being drafted
Mosquitoes and Other Pests.
In 1954 a number of complaints were received from all parts of the Borough
of infestations of cockroaches, moths, pharaoh's ants, crickets, silver fish, etc.
Advice was given in each case and where necessary treatment was carried out.
There were six infestations of cockroaches dealt with by the Department during
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