London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Finsbury 1903
Report on the public health of 1903
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The above Table deals with articles which have been disinfected. The actual number of occupancies disinfected during 1903 are as follows:—
| Small-pox | Scarlet Fever | Diphtheria | Enteric Fever | Puerperal Fever | Disinfection by request | Measles. | Phthisis | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1 | 28 | 8 | 7 | – | – | – | 19 | 63 |
| February | – | 12 | 26 | 3 | – | 1 | – | 18 | 60 |
| March | 1 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 3 | – | 1 | 28 | 52 |
| April | – | 13 | 10 | – | 1 | 3 | 30 | 9 | 66 |
| May | – | 18 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 68 | 21 | 121 |
| June | – | 33 | 19 | 2 | – | 3 | 203 | 17 | 277 |
| July | – | 36 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 151 | 10 | 213 |
| August | – | 44 | 13 | 4 | – | 1 | 18 | 10 | 90 |
| September | – | 43 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 15 | 96 |
| October | – | 23 | 6 | 12 | – | 1 | 10 | 11 | 63 |
| November | – | 11 | 4 | 5 | – | 2 | 4 | 17 | 43 |
| December | 1 | 15 | 5 | 6 | – | 1 | 5 | 10 | 43 |
| 3 | 286 | 127 | 53 | 8 | 19 | 506 | 158 | 1187 |
We have practically discarded Sulphur as a disinfectant, using
Formic Aldehyde Gas instead (30 tabloids to every 1,000 cubic feet).
We have also used Lingner's Formalin apparatus when necessary.
By whatever method gaseous disinfection is practised it may
prove ineffectual on account of the fact that what is required is that
the disinfectant should be applied directly to infected surfaces of a
room. It is therefore better, wherever practicable, to apply the
disinfectant by washing or spraying. Accordingly we have adopted
the spray method in cases where thorough disinfection is required,
and disinfectant solution (chloride of lime, 1-2 per cent.) is sprayed
on to walls, floors, etc, Thorough and wet cleansing of infected
surfaces is the desideratum.