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41
"There are many other contact insecticides on the market
which in light infestations may effect cure, but here, again, a cure
can only be effected if contact is made and followed up by the
tenant concerned completely co-operating with the disinfestation
process.
"Where bedding is infested the only satisfactory process that
I would be prepared to recommend would be that of steam disinfestation
. Two such cases have been dealt with by the co-operation
of the Public Health and the Housing Departments where a prospective
tenant of a Council house was found to be in possession
of verminous bedding. The bedding was collected from the old
house, treated by the steam disinfestation process and delivered
direct to the new premises.
“Eighteen cases have been treated over a long period by the
spray process and a number of light cases of infestation have been
treated by the tenants themselves making application to the Maintenance
Department for the loan of a sprayer and solution provided.
"I am still of the opinion I expressed some six years ago that
greater care should be utilised by prospective tenants in the method
adopted of transporting their furniture to their new homes, as
infestation can very rapidly occur by storage and transportation
of furniture in vans which are not thoroughly clean. It will be
obvious that if a furniture van is removing infested furniture and
is not thoroughly cleaned afterwards, the next lot of furniture,
which may be clean, may very speedily become infested through
any bugs or eggs which may be left behind from the previous removal.
"When furniture is found to be badly infested, when investigating
the home of a prospective tenant, the tenant is encouraged
to surrender the infested furniture, such as pictures, old tables,
chairs and chests of drawers. Facilities are offered him for the
supply of any new furniture or bedding that may be necessary.
The infested furniture surrendered is then collected and destroyed
at the Council's destructor."
Note by Medical Officer of Health.
Section 4 A. of the Maternity and Child Welfare Section of
the report appears to show that amongst the child-bearing section
of the population the proportion of families adequately housed
increased satisfactorily, but the proportion of families inadequately
housed remained stationary.