View report page

279
[1911
REMOVAL OF DUST.
The removal of household dust, which is of an infinite variety, coal ashes,
sweepings, tea-leaves, vegetable refuse, bones, milk tins, and a host of other
material more or less of a putrescible nature, is one of the most important duties
delegated to a sanitary authority; for as it is performed well or ill, so there will
or will not be an unhealthy deposit in the vicinity of our houses. This work
is now all the more important since the relationship of the fly to disease has
become better understood. He is known to breed in such refuse; and as the
period of his hatching out from the egg to the larva, and from the larva to
the pupa, and from the pupa to the full-blown fly is short, it becomes of still
further moment, not only to the immediate householder, but to his neighbours
and even to people living at a distance. Collections of stale refuse teem with
microbes; and as flies can convey them on their feet and wings, and in their
stomachs, it is well to afford them no feeding places, especially foul feeding
places where they can also breed. As a single flyspeck may contain three
thousand typhoid bacilli it is very apparent that they are a decided danger.
It is, therefore, satisfactory to find that few complaints have been received
respecting the manner in which the dust has been removed during the year.
That the time will arrive sooner or later when all household dust shall be
removed at least twice a week is certain ; and what is also certain is that one
or more destructors will be required for incinerating it. Rural authorities will
not always permit putrescible, or semi-putrescible matter to be dumped in their
districts, for where there are heaps of refuse there are flies; and where there
are flies the contamination of dairy produce is certain. It is, therefore,
well to be prepared for such an event. At present the borough gets rid of this
refuse cheaply, and so far as Islington is concerned, satisfactorily.

Dust Receptacles Provided.—During the year 1,324 dust receptacles
were provided, while 61 were repaired