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48
A few days ago I visited the Small Pox Hospital Camp at Darenth,
where two of Lyon's Disinfectors are at work, and I saw them used
for the purification of huge quantities of infected bedding and clothing.
The process was completed in about an hour, and the articles were
taken out of the apparatus perfectly free from infection, and without
injury to either colour or substance. All letters written by patients at
the Camp are passed through the apparatus before they are allowed
to be posted.
So satisfied is the Asylums' Board with the working of these and
the one on the "Atlas" ship, that two additional ones have been
ordered.
"A series of comprehensive tests were carried out some time since at Messrs.
Lyon's works, by order of the Local Government Board, by Dr. H. Franklin Parsons,
with the patent disinfector, in reference to an outbreak of small pox that occurred
amongst the rag sorters at the St. Mary Cray Paper Mills, the object also being to see
what precautions could be taken to prevent the spread of infection from rags. Dr. Parsons'
report leaves no doubt that the epidemic was attributable to the rags, which it appears
are sometimes of the most offensive character, being not only the cast-offs from poultices,
etc., but in some instances containing undoubted appearances of human excrement.
Dr. Parsons' view is strengthened by the fact that no concurrent outbreak of the disease
occurred in the neighbourhood among persons unconnected with the mill. The report
goes on to recommend that all rags should be disinfected before the process of sorting is
carried out, since it has been clearly demonstrated that the danger lurks in this preliminary
separation, which it appears must be done before any of the cleansing processes
adopted by paper manufacturers are carried out. In reviewing the available modes of
disinfection Dr. Parsons recommends that method applied in the form of high-pressure
steam, as securing the rags against scorching, and of greatly shortening the time required
for the penetration of heat; and he goes on to say that, from experiments he has made,
it is practicable with steam at 15 lbs. pressure ( = 251° F.) to disinfect rags without unpacking
the bales—an important advantage both as regards saving of labour and
avoidance of risk. The texture of the rags is not injured; they would not be wetted to
a serious extent by the steam, and the cost of the process would not exceed 2s. 2d. per
ton of rags, even if it were necessary to erect special apparatus for the purpose.
Mr. Lyon's appliance is the available one alluded to. But it is quite possible, and
indeed is constantly done, to apply as much as 20 lbs. pressure ( = 261° F.) in the Lyon's
disinfector without injury to the most delicate and even coloured fabrics. As it is well
known that few textile articles will bear a dry heat of more than 250° F. without
becoming scorched or singed, or, in other words, virtually destroyed, the advantages of
disteams infection, where a so much higher temperature can be obtained, is of immense
importance. We are glad to see that the Board of Trade, by the advice of Dr. Buchanan,
Medical Officer to the Local Government Board, have issued further regulations with
reference to ships having on board bales of rags exported from Egypt and consigned to
this country. As it has been found that thousands of tons of rags are annually imported
here from -Egypt, and that they are habitually dirty, it has been thought advisable to
take exceptional precautions to prevent the introduction of cholera by means of them
into English ports. In ordering disinfection, Dr. Buchanan says that bales of rags
cannot be properly disinfected by the use of any powder, nor by gaseous sulphurous acid
or chlorine; and after stating that they must be exposed to a heat of not less than
250° F. for two hours, says that the arrangment which gives greatest penetration of
heat is the use of high-pressure steam, more especially if the pressure be from time to
time relaxed, and re-applied so as to displace the air.' Here again the Lyon's Patent
Disinfector is evidently alluded to, and the 'relaxing' system mentioned by
Dr. Buchanan is one of the salient features of the machine."—Sanitary Record.
Dr. Tatham, the Medical Officer of Health for Salford, in a private