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The majority of the repairs were executed by the owners
as the result of the service of informal notices. No works
were undertaken by the Council in default of owners and
no legal proceedings were taken duriug the year.
Details of the work carried out and of the sanitary improvements
effected at dwelling houses are included in the
summary at page 51.
Disinfestation. The number of houses found upon
inspection to be infested with bed bugs was:—
Council Houses
Other Houses
Total
20
14
34
Of the 34 houses infested, 22 were treated by spraying with
insecticides and 12 by fumigation with either sulphur-dioxide
or other approved proprietary fumigant. The household
effects of two families were treated with HCN gas (van disinfestation)
before removal into Council houses.
Drainage Work. The number of notices served relating
to obstructed or defective drains was 148. At 13 houses the
drainage systems were entirely reconstructed and at 31 houses
extensive repairs to drains were carried out. Smoke and
water tests were applied to the drains of houses in 50 instances
and obstructions were removed from the drains at 101 houses.
Infectious Diseases and Disinfection. For the purpose
of obtaining information as to the source of infection and
for taking steps to prevent the spread of the disease enquiries
were made in respect of 185 cases of notifiable diseases
as compared with 180 cases in 1936.
Disinfection of rooms was carried out and bedding and
clothing removed for steam disinfection after the removal
of patients to the Isolation Hospital or on the recovery of
each patient treated at home. The number of rooms disinfected
was 243.
Food Supply. The total number of inspections made to
premises where articles of food are prepared or exposed for
sale was 565. These premises include butcher's shops, fish
shops, greengrocers, provision dealers, cooked meat shops,
46