[Report 1946] / Medical Officer of Health, Rugby R.D.C.

  • Rugby (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1946
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1946] / Medical Officer of Health, Rugby R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/20 (page 11)
    Water Supply. No. of samples for chemical analysis No. of samples for bacteriological analysis . . Results : Unsafe Suspicious Safe Broken in transit Water Supply Visits. Houses connected to mains Visits made 22 ] 1 21 6 5 1 32 247 Rats & Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919, and Infestation Order, 1943. The Council have again renewed their contract with the County War Agricultural Executive Committee’s Pests Department for the destruction of rats at their principal refuse tips. The work is done in a satisfactory manner. In addition your officers investigate any other complaints that are made to them, or any infestations they discover in the course of their inspections, and in certain instances poisons are issued to the occupiers to eradicate the vermin from their premises. Much has been done to help occupiers, but under the present law the occupier of the premises is responsible for eradicating rats and mice from his premises. The Ministry of Food have an active rodent division, and under an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture have their own sphere of operation. The Ministry of Food’s officers, during the year, raised the question as to this local authority having its own rodent organisa¬ tion, and I have no doubt that this authority will again be approached with a similar request as it is the Ministry of Food’s intention, or at least it seems to me to be their intention, to try to persuade every local authority to have its own rodent organisation. Conclusion. Many important tasks lie ahead, each clamouring for priority. We have housing, old and new ; water supply, and sewerage. The demand for new housing is ever widening ; the dissatisfaction with old worn- out houses increases ; the need for the satisfactory sewering of our various villages, and the provision of mains water supply to those parishes not yet enjoying this necessary amenity will have to be met as soon as possible. One reads that many of the cottages in the country could easily , be modernised, but until there is a free and unrestricted flow of materials I cannot envisage any great alteration or repairs being done with a view to “ modernising ” old cottages. Many of these cottages are worn out and do not warrant any expenditure. However, there is doubtless a number (though not so great as one is led to believe) that could be. provided with modern conveniences though this would involve a reduction in the bedroom capacity, or structural extensions, which again hinges on the important question of materials. At the present, emphasis must be for new houses. Inspection and visits totalled 3,973. This will give some im¬ pression of the past busy year of the Sanitary Inspector’s Department. The variety of the visits are indicated on the table.