London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Merton and Morden 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
This page requires JavaScript
As birds were known to be nesting under railway bridges, a trial
was made of visiting at 6-7 week intervals during the summer to remove
eggs and nestlings. This was quite successful but depended on the
availability of a moveable platform used by the Surveyor's Department for other purposes.
In addition, a dovecote in the Haig Home estate was visited after dark and birds taken in the light of a powerful torch. The details were as follows:-
| Place | Number of visits | Numbers destroyed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | Nestlings | Eggs | ||
| West Barnes Lane Bridge | 3 | 2 | 40 | 53 |
| Wimbledon Chase Bridge | 3 | — | 48 | 64 |
| Skew Arch Bridge | 1 | — | 11 | 8 |
| Haig Home Estate | 5 | 13 | 2 | 10 |
The licence granted in 1962 by the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food authorising me to use narcotised bait was renewed
for 1963. This method was used again but the success of last year was
not repeated, due to inclement weather at the time of the operation. Six
adults were picked up on two occasions but an experimental use of a
new narcotic at the request of the Ministry failed to destroy any birds.
Insects.
Four complaints of vermin (bugs and fleas) were received and dealt
with free of charge, as were 56 complaints of bees and wasps. 22 complaints
of infestations by other pests including ants, silver fish, cockroaches
and flies were received and advice given. Control measures at
County Council premises on request yielded an income of £7. 6s. 0d.
during the financial year 1963/4.
Pet Animals and Animal Nuisances.
Two premises are licensed under the Pet Animals Act and to inspect
these and investigate the conditions under which other animals are kept,
fourteen visits were made.
Noise Abatement.
Thirteen complaints of nuisance were received during the year and
in addition to noise from factories included noise from radio sets,
ice-cream vehicles, army field generators and a youth club premises. A
considerable time was spent by your officers in assessing the noise level,
determining the cause and in discussion with the persons responsible to
secure a reduction in volume. This informal action secured an improvement
in all cases sufficient to avoid a resort to legal proceedings but not
always to the full satisfaction of the complainant.
Filling Materials.
The two local manufacturers of stuffed toys and perambulators
continued to purchase their supplies under the British Standards
Institute certification scheme. No samples were taken by the department
during the year.
36