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and an old coat, all black with age and dirt. She herself was dirty and was
infested with head and body lice. As is usual in these cases of advanced
degeneration, she was deaf, had lost the ability to keep herself clean or change her
clothing or to see to her domestic necessities, or even to visit the toilet. Not
realising her own serious state of deterioration, she persisted in refusing any
attention or assistance. The Corporation were obliged to apply for a Court
Order authorising the removal of the patient to Redhill House for three months.
Under care and supervision she regained vitality and moderate health. The
Court Order was renewed four times and then allowed to lapse. The patient
lived for 15 months in the hospital.
Environmental Hygiene.
Anything to Complain About ?
Every week over 40 people come to the Health Department to complain
about some sanitary defect affecting their health. Monday mornings are
especially busy, as everything seems to happen at the week-ends. Housing
defects form by far the greatest number—a miscellaneous collection of leaking
roofs, rotting floorboards, choked drains, smoky chimneys, defective fire-grates,
defective stair-handrails, water-closets out of order and so on. The infestations
by rats and mice, bugs and other insects form another large group of about
500 a year. We are always kept busy examining food alleged to be unfit for
human consumption; these complaints number over 300 a year. Although this
part of the work keeps the sanitary department quite busy, it forms only a
fraction of the volume of work needed each year to keep the Borough
wholesome. During 1949 the inspectors paid nearly 21,000 visits to ensure
that the duty of the Corporation for enforcing the numerous Acts of Parliament
which have to do with the maintenance of public health were carried
out properly.
Busy Inspectors.
An inspector in the course of his duties has to see to a number of
complaints which have come in every morning; he has to find the contacts of
cases of infectious disease and give advice to them; call at shops, factories,
cinemas, dance halls, stables, piggeries, hairdressers, caravans, and fairgrounds
to check up on conditions; call at bakehouses, fish shops, grocers, greengrocers,
factory canteens, restaurant kitchens, and even the local to see that the conditions
are hygienic. He has also to keep an eye on ice-cream premises and
premises making preserved meat or fish products. He may have to take
samples of milk; take an observation for an alleged smoke nuisance, and see
that proper fire precautions are taken at petrol-filling stations. He has to
visit schools and swimming baths, slaughter-houses and the places where
hawkers keep their barrows. He must watch the operations of building contractors
engaged on repairing drains and sewers and supervise the men who
deal with rats and mice and bugs.
The inspector may have to attend a court. During 1949 two traders were
prosecuted for offences under the Food and Drugs Act; in two other cases
the Corporation sent a warning letter.
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