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13
for six days showed a progressive improvement in the "take."
This was followed by the laying of poison bait, over 8 lbs. of which
was actually taken. Post-baiting showed that the rat population
had been reduced to such minor proportions that only 15 baits
were touched at all the baiting points.
During the year the Council adopted the Ministry of Agriculture
and Fisheries scheme for rodent block control treatment,
particulars of which will be found later in this report.
The condition of bombed sites in the district has continued
to cause the greatest annoyance to householders and has also
placed additional work upon the Department in connection with
the clearance of rat infestation.
During the year household and other offensive refuse was
removed by the Public Health Department from 44 sites in the
Borough on 70 occasions after repeated and well-founded complaints
from householders that serious nuisance had arisen.
Static water tanks, also, have caused repeated complaints
and annoyance and, since the co-operation of the Fire Brigade
Authorities is no longer forthcoming, this difficulty has been acute
from time to time.
Legislation affecting the work of the Public Health Department
is contained in Sections 47 and 50 of the National Assistance
Act, 1948, which became operative on the 5th July.
Section 47 repeals and re-enacts Section 224 of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1936, which relates to the removal to suitable
institutions of aged and infirm persons living in insanitary
conditions and not receiving proper care and attention, with the
modification that seven instead of the former three days' notice
of intention to apply for a compulsory removal order is now
necessary. These compulsory powers are, of course, invoked only
when such persons refuse offered assistance, but the position
regarding other such persons has caused some concern, for many
instances of chronic or incurably sick persons not receiving
adequate attention have been brought to the notice of the
Department during the year. This state of affairs was due to
several causes.
Previously, if these people were willing to enter hospitals or
institutions, it had been fairly simple to deal with them by communicating
with the Social Welfare Officer, who arranged for the
District Medical Officer to visit patients and, where necessary,
secured their admission to one of the L.C.C. hospitals or institutions,
but the transfer of the hospitals to the Regional Hospitals
Boards and the closing of the institutions, as such, combined with