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of formulating a scheme by which isolated blocks of houses
could be dealt with, and, as will be seen, I specify certain
blocks which it would be an advantage to deal with under
Part II, of the Act. Prom this report it will be seen that in
this area there are groups of houses where such conditions
exist as to be a source of danger either as regards the individual
houses themselves, as in the case of the Beckett Street block
and Mayhew's Buildings, or, as in the case of Gurney Terrace,
Ac., where the houses themselves are not so much to blame as
the bad arrangement by which the supply of light is curtailed
to such an extent as to be inconsistent with proper sanitary
conditions. The houses referred to in the plan comprise
Mayhew's Buildings, Nos. 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38, Beckett
Street, the whole of Gurney Terrace, Laurel Terrace, and
Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, Sultan Street. The Committee,
however, decided not to proceed with the Scheme, but that all
possible notices should be served under the Public Health Acts.
The question, therefore, at present remains at this stage.
The subject of disinfection was also considered by your
Committee, in consequence of a resolution having been passed
by the Vestry in favour of a reversion to the old system which
was in vogue some two or three years ago, and which was,
rightly I think, discarded in favour of the more efficient method
of syringing. This old system consisted in stripping the walls
after the rooms had been fumigated by the vapour of burning
sulphur. I prepared the following report on the subject, and
it was discussed by the Committee: —
Disinfection.—Report of Medical Officer.
The question before the Committee is whether it is desirable that a
reversion should be made to the old plan of fumigating by burning sulphur,
and to combine with this fumigation the stripping of the walls and white-washing
of the ceilings. The method at present in use is that of spraying
the walls with a solution of perchloride of mercury of sufficient strength to
act as an efficient germicide. The universal opinion appears to be that the
stripping of the walls and whitewashing of the ceilings is the most effectual
means of disinfection. The object, however, of stripping the walls is to
remove the organisms and their spores that might be finding a lodging
place there, hence any other means that would exert the same destructive
influence on the germs would answer equally well. Under these circumstances
I think that the present plan with some modifications is the preferable
one. I do consider that it will be an improvement to wash the walls
with corrosive sublimate solution rather than as at present to spray them,