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there would thus be a completely sterilised coating all over the walls which
would effectually prevent the germination of any spores, besides killing the
organisms themselves. If this plan were adopted we should not be under
the necessity of stripping the walls, as I think such washing of the walls
equally satisfactory from the health point of view as the stripping, as the
organisms likely to do harm would naturally be on the surface, being of
recent growth. It has been remarked that if we use a liquid disinfectant
the air is really untouched. This is, of course, quite true but I do not
think it is a vital objection in view of the known tendency of organisms to
settle on the floor and sides of the room. The question also arises
as to the responsibility of the Vestry in case of damage; in my opinion it
would come under the heading of necessary and not unnecessary damage,
since I believe it is difficult, if not impossible, to thoroughly disinfect a
room without this washing.
On the ground of expense the advantage would be a long way on the
side of washing the walls, since if we were to strip them there would be
the time occupied in stripping in addition to that taken up by the washing,
it would also be necessary to gather up all scraps of paper torn off and to
burn them. The paper stripped off, too, must either be burnt in the
gardens, or conveyed in a properly constructed vehicle to the depôt, to be
there cremated; either of these plans is objectionable.
A new disinfectant termed formic aldehyde, which is vaporized by
a special machine, has been reported upon very favourably, and the
inventors of the machine attended before the Society of Medical Officers of
Health, and gave a demonstration of its mode of action. The machine
is not a very expensive one, and if it is proved that it is being adopted
elsewhere with success, I think the system should be introduced in
Camberwell with advantage, as the convenience and quickness of this
method render it suitable for our use.
FRANCIS STEVENS, Medical Officer of Health.
In the end, however, the Vestry decided that the rooms
should be stripped in all cases where I thought it to be necessary.
As I do not think that it is necessary that rooms should be
stripped before they can be regarded as disinfected, I have
adopted the following plan, namely, that of instructing the
inspectors to report all rooms that they consider to be in a dirty
state, but in regard to the condition of which it would be
impossible to go into the witness-box and swear that the rooms
were in such a state as to be a nuisance, or injurious to health.
Early in the year the By-laws proposed to be made by
the London County Council were forwarded in draft to the
Vestry. They were reported upon jointly by your Vestry
Clerk, your late Surveyor and myself, and we all three agreed