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
Southall 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
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Eight complaints of noise were received during the year. Particulars of these are given below.
| Source | Result of Investigation |
|---|---|
| Wood saws in Factory | Not confirmed. |
| Cyclone Fan | Remedied. |
| Cyclone Fan | Remedied. |
| Tailboards of Lorries | Remedied. |
| Cyclone Fan | Remedied |
| Garage | Remedied |
| Steam condensing tank | Remedied |
| Car engine testing at night | Remedied. |
The following table gives details of work carried out in accordance with the policy of the Council, as outlined in previous reports.
| Total notifications of Rats and Mice | Confirmed | Non-Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| 209 | 209 | - |
| Business and Industrial | 26 premises treated | |
| Domestic | 183 „ „ | |
| Rats found and cleared in | 222 „ | |
| Mice „ „ „ „ | 87 „ | |
| Total number of visits in 1963—1,457 | ||
| Sewers | ||
| Total number of manholes baited | 121 | |
| Number of poison takes | 11 | |
| No takes | 110 | |
These figures show a great increase in the amount of infestation by rats in domestic
premises, and an increase in the sewer rat population. Rats are being encouraged by the
increasingly wasteful habits of the population, and the carelessness of the people about the
disposal of food waste. Streets and parks littered with food bags, fruit skins, discarded
sandwiches, and cakes, make happy hunting and breeding-grounds for rats as well as flies—
and the killing by dangerous poisons of individual rats or groups of rats will never keep pace
with this large scale encouragement. The increasing use of rat poisons is now a danger to
domestic pets, and residues in sewage effluents will require very careful watching by river
and shore authorities who receive the outlets from the sewage purification works.
Pet Animals Act, 1951
Seven establishments were licensed during the year. The number of animals kept in
each case was small and conditions have remained satisfactory.
Administration of the Shops Acts
Routine visiting of shops in connection with the Shops Acts Regulations continued.
During the year, 12 shopkeepers were prosecuted and fined for Sunday Trading—an offence
under Shops Act, 1950.
River Pollution
Inspection of the rivers and canal of Southall during the year gave evidence of one
individual site of pollution in Southall on which action could be and was, taken, but the
general condition of the water continued to deteriorate.
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