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The verminous bedding and clothing were taken to the disinfecting
station and steamed, and the verminous rooms fumigated or
sprayed, and, where necessary, notices were served upon the owners
to cleanse and strip the rooms if vermin was afterwards found present.
There were also 30 notices received from the London County
Council in respect of children suffering from Scabies. The bedding
in all these cases was disinfected on receipt of information and again
ten days later.
In addition to the cleansing of verminous rooms or premises by
owners and tenants after service of notice by the Sanitary Inspectors,
417 rooms at 241 premises where neither tenant nor owner could be
shown to be directly responsible, were cleansed *of vermin by spraying
by the staff of the Public Health Department.
During the year, owing to the difficulties in obtaining reliable
insecticide and the apparatus to apply it with, arrangements were
continued to loan hand sprayers and sell insecticide at cost price to
owners and tenants in order to assist them in clearing their premises
of vermin. Material to the value of £45 19s. 3d. was sold for this
purpose.
Rats and, Mice Destruction Act, 1919.
The number of complaints received during the year of premises
being infested with rats was 374. These complaints were effectually
dealt with in most cases by the repair or reconstruction of defective
sewers, drains and sanitary fittings, under the supervision of the
Sanitary Inspectors.
In 60 cases it was necessary to serve notices under the Act upon
the occupiers of the land or premises.
Eighteen premises were cleared under the agreement with
Messrs. Howard & Son (Ratcatchers), under the supervision of the
Council's Sanitary Staff.