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The following table shows the number and nature of complaints received
during the year:—

Verminous Persons and their Belongings.
The arrangements outlined in last year's report remained unaltered.
During the year action was taken with regard to fifteen premises found
to be infested by bed bugs. In addition, of the thirty-eight families removed
from slum clearance property to new premises in Allenby Road, thirteen were
found to have their belongings infested with vermin, and arrangements were
made for the disinfestation of this property by hydrocyanic acid gas. To the
end of the year twelve families had been disinfested in this way. In
disinfestation with hydrocyanic acid gas certain precautions have to be taken
to prevent injury to persons from the highly poisonous nature of the gas.
Because of this, bedding is disinfested by steam in the steam disinfector belonging
to the local authority. During the year this disinfector was used in a similar
way for the treatment of bedding from the Urban District of Uxbridge, whose
Council had not a disinfector of their own. Thirty-six loads of bedding were
thus dealt with.
Disinfestation for bed bugs remains a very difficult but nevertheless a
pressing problem in this district. Not only the older parts of the district are
found to be infested, but often some of the newer houses. It is an extremely
difficult problem to eradicate them from a house completely. Some local
authorities have a special sub-department of the Health Department for dealing
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