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47
As will bo seen, no less than thirty parishes are provided with
proper disinfecting apparatus, and five others contract with private
firms at so much per hundredweight for all goods disinfected; the
price paid varies from a pound to thirty shillings. Thirteen have
Frazer's apparatus, but nearly all seem to have improved or modified
it; thus showing that they were not satisfied with its performance as
originally sent out. Four have Leoni's, which is a gas oven something
like Ransome's, but without the automatic arrangement.
Many parishes seem to disinfect all articles, and to burn nothing,
except at the owner's request, when of course no compensation is
paid. Others burn worthless articles, and sometimes compensate ;
others destroy, and always compensate. Dr. Tripe, of Hackney, burns
with the consent of the owners, and if they be poor, refers them to the
Guardians for compensation. Paddington, Strand, and Wimbledon,
never burn anything, no matter how bad, but pass the articles
through the apparatus, and return to owner. Dr. Barclay, of Chelsea,
has Nelson's apparatus : he is not satisfied with any he has yet seen.
Dr. Iliff, of Newington, also has Nelson's: he complains that it is
difficult to avoid injuring the articles during disinfection in this
apparatus. Mr. Farr, of Lambeth, prefer's Frazer's to the one he
has in use (name of maker not stated). Dr. Saunders (City of
London), has Leoni's, but recommends Ransome's as being superior.
Mr. Corner, of Poplar, has Fraser's apparatus. He considers that
baths should be provided for the disinfection of persons as well as
bedding and clothes.
Sixteen parishes are unprovided with apparatus. Most of these use
sulphur fumigation; one uses carbolic acid and steam; another
chlorine gas. Mr. Skegg, of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, disinfects
everything with sulphur, and burns nothing. Most of the other
parishes seem to destroy worthless articles, and if tho owners are poor,
to compensate them. None of the Vestries, however, are anything
like so liberal in this matter as Bethnal Green.
Upon reviewing the whole of the evidence for and against, I am
decidedly in favour of an apparatus, and while we are getting one we
may as well have the best, and that is undoubtedly Lyon's.
Since the publication of this Report in 1882, Lyon's Disinfector has
been adopted by the Metropolitan Asylums' Board, by the Corporations
of Glasgow, Rochdale, Salford, Newcastle, and South Shields.