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69
seem to be the only lines upon which anything like adequate
disinfection can be secured by means of sulphur :—
1. The room to be disinfected must be effectually sealed up.
2. Not less than three pounds of sulphur should be used for
every 1000 cubic ft.
3. Twenty-four hours should elapse between the timeof lighting
the sulphur and the unsealing of the room.
4. The air in the room should be damp during the process and
this may be achieved by steam, or spraying the walls with
water, or suspending wet blankets.
5. At the end of the twenty-four hours the doors and windows
should be kept wide open for at least one day and if
possible for two days.
6. Furniture and fixtures should, as far as possible, be wiped
down with a damp cloth soaked in carbolic or some other
disinfectant solution. Dry dusting or sweeping is to be
strongly deprecated. Stripping of walls should always be done
in cases of recurring infection or when the walls are dirty.
During the year I have also instituted the use of Formic Aldelyde
and Formalin for room disinfection and this has proved of great
service in cases where rapid disinfection was necessary. There is
now abundant evidence to show that the value of Formic
Aldehyde as a germicide when used in gaseous form, or as
formalin in solution, is considerably greater and much more
efficacious than sulphur as ordinarily used. Almost its only drawback
is that it is somewhat more expensive than sulphur. Formic
Aldehyde gas is produced by burning tabloids (30 to every 1,000
cubic ft.) in a small "alformant lamp." The solution (Formalin)
may be used in exactly the same manner as carbolic solution.
Articles of clothing, bedding, etc., have been disinfected in the
steam disinfecting apparatus (Goddard, Massey and Warner)
which has given satisfaction. Disinfection by this means is
absolutely efficient and occupies about one hour. Two vans are
used for conveyance of the articles. One van for bringing the
infected articles, and a second van for taking the disinfected articles
back again. The following is the record of work done for Clerkenwell
(not including that done for the Holborn Board of
Works) during 1900:—