London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Twickenham 1959

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Twickenham]

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certain amendments to them will be advocated to the Local Authority
for their adoption.
5.Public Health Officers Regulations, 1959.
These regulations came into force on 15th June, 1959 and are
substantially the same as the former regulations as to qualifications,
duties and tenure of office of medical officers of health and public
health inspectors.
Under the former regulations, however, compliance with certain
provisions was a condition of the right of councils of county
districts arid metropolitan boroughs to receive from county councils
payments towards the salaries of medical officers of health and
public health inspectors. These payments were abolished by Section
57 of the Local Government Act, 1958.
In addition to the qualifications prescribed for public health
inspectors, the regulations now provide that a public health inspector
appointed by a local authority employing only one public health
inspector should have had at least two years previous experience.
PEST DESTRUCTION
The service provided by the department enables residents in
the Borough to have insect pests identified and advice is given as
to their eradication. Unusual specimens are sent to the British
Museum (Natural History Section) for identification, and I am most
grateful to them for their willing assistance.
Many complaints were received during the summer months of
wasps nests being built in air vents, lofts, etc., due no doubt to
the unusually hot summer and during the year 186 nests were
destroyed.
25 premises were treated against bugs and in all cases complete
clearance was effected.
The normal work of rodent destruction continued during the year.
The annual 10% test-baiting of the soil system of sewers was
carried out in February, and infested manholes were subsequently
treated in March and October.
Part of the system was treated by the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food in carrying out experimental work with a new
type of poison. The whole cost of the experiment was borne by the
Ministry. The area selected was in the St.Margarets and Twickenham
district. The system comprised 203 manholes. The first treatment was
carried out in July and poison takes were recorded in eighty manholes.
The treatment was repeated in October when it was found that
the number of infested manholes had been reduced to thirty four. A
final census of the system in November revealed that there were minor
infestations in eleven manholes only.
KEEPING THE BOROUGH CLEAN
I am obliged to A.S.Knolles, Esq., B.Sc., M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mun.E.,
Chartered C.E., the Borough Engineer and Surveyor for the following
report of Drainage, Sewerage, Public Conveniences and Refuse
Disposal
Drainage and Sewerage
The Contractor for the East Twickenham sewer has continued the
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