[Report 1938] / Medical Officer of Health, Durham City.

  • Durham (England). City Council.
Date:
1938
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1938] / Medical Officer of Health, Durham City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/30 (page 21)
    Bug Infestation of Houses. The methods adopted to prevent the transference of bug infested furniture and belongings to the new houses continues to prove satisfactory, although 14 Council houses and 5 other houses were found to be infested and had to be disinfested during the year. When it is known that the houses are bug infested every assistance is given to the tenants to enable them to clear the premises of vermin. There is a possibility of fresh infestation by the purchase of second hand articles. The problem of dealing with occupied bug infested houses is one which causes grave concern. Perhaps the only satisfactory method if to fumigate the house with Hydrogen Cyanide, but the attendant dangers to human life in this method are too great and cannot be attempted in tenemental properties. Unfortunately the apathy and laziness of the occupier is a con- tributory cause of the infestation. It is always emphasised that liberal use of soap and water, the removal of superfluous wall papers and persistent cleansing will put an end to all trouble in this direction. In the course of slum clearance operations during the year 332 tenants were removed to new Council houses after disinfestation of their belongings and dwellings, this work being carried out by the Corporation. Displacement of Tenants. During the past year steady progress has been made in the removal of tenants from Confirmed Clearance Areas or after treatment of certain properties by the methods detailed in the Housing Acts. 332 tenants comprising 1,424 persons were displaced as follows :— Dwellings. Persons. Framwellgate No. 2 Compulsory Order 145 635 El vet Ward and Maynard’s Row Clearance Orders 124 541 Individual Unlit Houses . 24 84 Closing Orders 25 107 Abatement of Overcrowding ... 14 57