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.

    17/50 (page 17)
    on the occupier or on the owner where the work required is work for which the owner is under the tenancy responsible. In case of default the local authority may themselves carry out the work and recover the reasonable costs and expenses. (c) To provide cleansing stations, apparatus and attendants. When cleansing is undertaken the local authority may often find occasion to require under their statutory powers the execution of repairs which will be a material factor in preventing re-infestation. 6. EDUCATION. In the report published by the Department of Health for Scotland, reference is made to the training of the sanitary staff and the education and encouragement of the tenant. Too much stress cannot be laid upon these two aspects of the question. It is essential that medical officers, sanitary inspectors, health visitors, etc., should be thoroughly versed in the recognition of Bed-bugs in all their stages and in the salient facts of their life history. It may be necessary for each Local Authority or for a group of Authorities to arrange for special lectures and demonstrations adapted to particular local conditions. , Education of tenants on similar lines and instruction in elementary practical methods of maintaining their furniture and houses free from Bed-bugs is of hardly less importance. To this end it is essential that the staff of the Local Authority engaged on this work should be able to obtain the good will and the confidence of the tenants. We are inclined to think that the success in Glasgow is due in no small measure to the personality and enthusiasm of Dr. Gunn and the other members of Dr. Macgregor’s staff. The responsibility of the Local Authority as landlord and as guardian of the Public Health should not end with the fumigation of furniture and disinfestation of bedding on removal to the new house. Sustained effort is necessary to prevent reinfestation, and a judicious use of educational propaganda will undoubtedly contribute more than any other measure towards a solution of the problem. It is essential that there should be the closest co-operation between all committees and officers of Local Authorities dealing with the different aspects of housing and slum clearance to secure co-ordinated effort in the elimination of Bed-bugs. 7, RESEARCH ON BIONOMICS OF BED-BUGS. In the course of our inquiries we have been struck with the extreme paucity of information on many important points in the physiology and life history of the Bed-bug. Experience has shown that no insect pest has been successfully combatted until its complete life history and reactions to environment have been worked out. In particular, information is urgently wanted upon the effect of