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82
Disinfection
of Public
Vehicles.
At the Dust Depot, Culvert Road, a building is
provided for the special purpose of disinfecting cabs
and other public vehicles. During the year one cab
has been disinfected there, after having been used for conveying
a Scarlet fever patient from Sloane Square, Chelsea. The cabman
having been compensated by the hirer of the vehicle no proceedings
were taken in the matter.
The building in question has also been made use of by the
Highways Department for the storage of furniture, &c , of evicted
tenants, which had been seized in consequence of causing
obstruction in the public highways, &c. Before the articles are
returned to their owners the same are invariably disinfected, or
if in filthy and worthless condition, are destroyed in the
destructor.
MORTUARY.
During the year 1899 two hundred and seventy-four bodies
were received at the Parish Mortuary, Church Road. One
hundred and fifty-seven were the bodies of males and one
hundred and seventeen of females. In two hundred and twentyone
cases post-mortem examinations were held, and Coroner's
inquests upon two hundred and sixty of the bodies. The remaining
fourteen bodies were deposited for sanitary reasons—nine by
reason of insufficient accommodation, at the houses, and five for
similar, but more urgent, reasons, being those of persons dying
from diphtheria, and these latter were isolated in the infectious
chamber.
The days upon which the largest number of bodies were
received were on the 7th February and 14th March, viz., five on
each occasion and four on each of the following days:—10th
March, 27th March and 26th December.
The following Table shews the number of bodies received
during the past twelve years:—