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67
There were also 109 notices received from the London County
Council in respect of children suffering from scabies, and 22 notices
from hospitals in respect of out-patients. Thirty-three cases were
referred for treatment by private practitioners. The bedding in
these cases was disinfected on receipt of information and again 10
days later or after recovery.
In addition to the cleansing of verminous rooms or premises by
owners and tenants after service of notice by the Sanitary
Inspectors, 1.205 rooms at 760 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 with which to apply it, 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 £322 16s. 7d. was sold
for this purpose. This consisted of 5,654 pints of insecticide and
521 sprayers loaned or sold.
Requests are frequently received in the Public Health Department
for the removal and destruction of the possessions of persons
who have died or been removed to residential institutions. These
persons are usually aged people who, with the help of old age
pensions and public assistance, have remained in rooms and lodgings
long after they have ceased to be capable of keeping themselves and
their belongings in a clean condition. In some cases these people
accumulate large quantities of useless, dirty and verminous effects.
This material is not removed by the Borough Engineer's Department
as domestic refuse and if not collected and destroyed by the Public
Health Department it would find its way all over the Borough
through rag and bone and second-hand dealers. This work entails
increasing expense to the Public Health Department.
It is also becoming usual for the public to ask the Department
to collect and destroy old bedding instead of giving or selling it to
dealers.
The following are particulars of two cases dealt with during
1934
(a) The occupier of two rooms was removed to and died in the
Hackney Hospital. Ten van-loads of old furniture,
effects and rubbish were removed to the Disinfecting
Station and destroyed.
(b) Seventeen loads of old furniture and rubbish were removed
from two rooms, a scullery and passage. One load of useful
material was returned for the use of the two occupiers
after it and the premises had been disinfected.