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
Hackney 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
This page requires JavaScript
31
LAUNDRY. This section deals with the laundry of incontinent persons,
and certain articles of clothing following disinfection, Articles of
clothing and bedding from the London County Council welfare centres and
day nurseries in this Borough are also dealt with, and for this service
the London County Council pays the Borough Council £870 per annum.
For the disinfection of secondhand clothing prior to export private
firms paid a sum of £1,238 10s. 6d. In addition, from various other
sources the sum of £368 13s. Od. was received in respect of disinfection
and disinfestation of rooms, furniture and other articles, and
£136 19s. 10d. was received for the removal of articles from various
premises and sites.
SUMMARY OF DISINFECTION AND DISINFESTATION WORK. The following is a summary of disinfection and disinfestation work carried out during the year at the Station and elsewhere:-
| (a) After the occurrence of infectious and contagious disease - | |
| Rooms disinfected | 770 |
| Bedding and clothing disinfected | 17,482 articles |
| Bedding and clothing destroyed | 114 articles |
| Public Library (including routine disinfection) and other books disinfected . | 15,434 |
| (b) For the destruction of vermin - | |
| Rooms disinfested | 328 |
| Bedding, clothing, etc., destroyed | 2,082 articles |
| Beds, mattresses, blankets, etc., treated in cyanide gas chambers | 182 articles |
| Furniture treated in cyanide gas chambers (including 11 loads treated on behalf of Tottenham Borough Council) | 71 van loads |
| Disinfested by other means | 2,626 articles |
| (c) For disinfection prior to export by private firms - | |
| Clothing | 742,153 articles |
| Sacks | 3,020 |
| Straw envelopes | 1,506 bundles |
| Mats | 24 |
| Hatters' felt waste | 9½ tons |
| (d) Sundry articles of bedding, etc., cleansed, dried or disinfected | 221 articles |
| (e) Unwholesome articles destroyed | 104 van loads |
| (f) Bombed sites cleared (material burned and buried | 391 bins |
| on site) | 80 occasions |
| (g) Miscellaneous - | |
| Wasps destroyed | 10 nests |
| Bees destroyed | 5 swarms |
| Static water tanks (sprayed) | 6 tanks |
| Articles dried after flooding | 134 articles |
| Old iron salvaged from bombed site | 1½ cwts. |
SUPPLY OP DISINFECTANTS AND INSECTICIDES. Stocks of various disinfectants,
insecticides, rat poisons, etc,, are kept in the departmental
depot in Hillman Street. Disinfectants are issued free to cases of
infectious disease including tuberculosis. Various preparations are
on sale to the public, and these sales totalled £825 10s. Od. in the
year under review.