Report on the bed-bug.

  • Great Britain. Ministry of Health
Date:
1934
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the bed-bug. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    3/50
    REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON THE ERADICATION OF BED-BUGS Tue Rr. Hon. Sm Hitton Youne, G.B.E., D.S.O., D.S.C., M.P., Minister of Health. Sir, During recent years occasional representations have been made to the Ministry of Health by Local Authorities as to the spread of infestation by Bed-bugs. The problem has lately become more acute in consequence of increased activity in the work of dealing with unhealthy areas and insanitary houses. A large number of tenants of council houses are now being drawn from verminous dwellings, and the infestation of new council houses has become a matter of concern to the Local Authorities who are responsible for their maintenance and management. A small committee with your approval was therefore set up in _ August of this year consisting of :— Dr. G. W. Monier-Williams, O.B.H., M.C., Ph. D., F.1.C., Ministry of Health (Chairman). Major-General P. H. Henderson, D.S.0O., K.H.P., M.B., War Office. Mr. C. R. Kerwood, Ministry of Health. Mr. A. W. McKenny Hughes, DL... F. R.E.S., British Museum (Natural History). Mr. D. Morrell, H.M. Office of Works. Dr. P. G. Stock, C.B., C.B.E., Hon. F.R.C.8.(Ed.), M.B., M.R.C.P., Ministry of Health (Secretary). with instructions to review the position and, if necessary, to submit proposals for further experimental work with a view to devising a satisfactory method which could safely be recommended to Local Authorities for the eradication of Bed-bugs. The Committee has held eight meetings and has received reports from Local Authorities and others concerned in the matter. Discussions have taken place with various experts who have specially studied the problem and several promising lines of inquiry have been followed up. Individual members have visited some of the Metropolitan Boroughs, and also Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh, to investigate on the spot various aspects of the problem. A large amount of work has been done in the Laboratory of the Ministry of Health on the composition of proprietary insecticides (Appendix I) and a summary has been prepared of the more impor- tant literature on the subject of Bed-bugs (Appendix Kit). It appeared to the Committee advisable, in view of the urgency of the problem, that a report should be presented at an early date 6320 AZ
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