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30
Whilst we were in the middle of the epidemic a new
trouble cropped up. In our anxiety to destroy all
germs of small-pox, the disinfectors were instructed to
subject articles of infected clothing to the fumes of
burning sulphur for the period during which the room,
lately occupied by the patient, was in process of disinfection.
The following day such articles as could be
removed were taken away, still saturated with sulphur
dioxide, and probably containing some free sublimed
sulphur as well, and subjected to steam heat in the
Washington Lyon apparatus. The result of this combined
operation was disastrous, for the moist steam
under pressure rapidly converted the non-corrosive
sulphur dioxide (S02) into vitriol (H2 SO4) minute in
quantity, but still sufficient to change the colour and
rot the fibre of woollen articles. At first the apparatus
got the blame, but when it was noted that damage in
the Washington Lyon only followed sulphur fumigation,
the cause became apparent.
CHICKEN-POX.
No Deaths.
During the period the chicken-pox Orders were in
force 497 cases of this disease were reported. A large
proportion of these were personally visited, and eleven
of them were found to be cases of small-pox, two others
were pustular forms of syphilis.
SCARLET FEVER.
Deaths 18. (Decennial average 23).
The number of scarlet fever cases reported during
the year was 655, of which 18 terminated fatally, indicating
a case rate on the notifications of 2.7 per cent.