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The figures given above in connection with disinfection and
disinfestation will show that this work involves the expenditure
of a good deal of time and labour. The number of houses disinfested
during the year was 67, 3 of these being Council houses and
the others belonging to private owners. The results of the disinfestation
of verminous houses have been generally satisfactory and
it is very rare now for a house to require disinfestation a second
time. The woodwork of the infested rooms, that is, the skirting
boards, architraves and picture rails are removed by a carpenter
and sprayed or painted with Cromessol B solution. The rooms
are fumigated on three successive occasions at weekly intervals with
sulphur dioxide.
The preventive measures taken with the furniture of new
tenants for Council houses have also been very successful. The
furniture is removed from the old house in a special van in which
it is fumigated by hydrocyanic acid gas. All cushions, bedding,
etc., are at the same time disinfected by steam, and the furniture
and bedding installed in the new house later in the same day.
These measures have now been in force for almost four years and
have proved very satisfactory.