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113
DISINFECTING STATION.
The difficulty of getting infected bedding and clothing properly
and expeditiously disinfected has been long felt by the Public Health
Department. This arose because Islington possessed no disinfecting
chambers of its own, but depended on a private firm, supplemented for
a time during the outbreak of small pox, by the disinfecting chamber
owned by the Vestry of St. Luke. The work performed by the private
contractor was never deemed satisfactory, both on account of the uncertainty
that existed that the disinfection was thorough, and the
length of time it occupied, twelve hours being the time allotted to each
chamber full. In addition to these reasons, it was felt that very much
more work would be got through if the Vestry possessed one of its own.
On the passing of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, the
provision of adequate means for disinfecting infected articles became
compulsory; but it was not until August, 1892, that the matter was
seriously taken in hand.
At this date I was ordered by the Committee to make enquiries,
and on September 26th (following) I reported to the Committee, who
decided to inspect the two machines which alone were considered
suitable, and in which the disinfection was effected by means of highpressure
steam.
The Committee, having carefully considered the whole subject,
decided on recommending the Vestry to obtain two chambers on the
Goddard, Massey & Warner principle, which, in their opinion, were
the most suitable for the work that was to be done in Islington.
The two cardinal reasons for the preference were (1) that the
chambers did not require separate boilers, and (2) that the shape of the
machine enabled it to hold more articles, especially those that were
large or bulky, such as bedding.
It was also decided that a small laundry should be erected, so that
all articles soiled by the patients should be properly cleansed before
return to the infected home, because it was felt that even in the
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