View report page

44
In connection with articles of bedding, etc., destroyed, the following
goods have been replaced by the Council at a cost of
£'27 4s. Dd.:—
Palliasses 51.
Flock beds 42
Wool mattresses 22
Bolster 1, and Pillows 2.
Despite this large amount of disinfection carried out, complaints
from owners of bedding, etc., were few and far between—.£11 5s.
only having been paid as compensation for damage to disinfected
articles during the whole 12 months of the epidemic.
Stripping off of wall papers of infected rooms was considered
an important measure, and a total of 392 rooms have been
stripped, 49 by private owners and 343 by the Council's own officers—the
latter at a total cost of 7 5s. 6d. It was felt to be
unfair to allow private builders' men to do this particularly dangerous
work, especially recognising the difficulty of ensuring such men
being efficiently protected by re-vaccination. It was decided,
therefore, to employ, on behalf of the Lambeth Borough Council,
2 temporary officers (accustomed to the work) for the purpose.
These temporary officers were re-vaccinated by the Medical Officer
previous to their beginning work, and they have, during the
epidemic, stripped 322 infected rooms (the other 21 having been
previously done by the disinfecting men) at an inclusive charge
of 6s. per room stripped (inclusive of collecting the paper in bags,
and having it removed to, and burnt at, the Wharf). Neither
of the men caught Smallpox, though there have been many instances
throughout London of strippers, unprotected by re-vaccination,
having caught the disease (3 cases having occurred in Lambeth
amongst strippers employed on infected houses in outside
Boroughs).
The disinfecting staff has worked well, day and night, and much
praise is due to one and all for the prompt and thorough way in
-hich they have carried out their duties. In one or two instances
disinfection has been carried out after midnight, and often late
at night, necessitating one or more members of the staff being on
duty continuously, as the extra pressure of work due to the Smallpox
outbreak was not allowed to interfere with the routine work
of disinfecting after the notifiable diseases, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria,
Chickenpox, etc.; or with the special work, which is being
carried out in Lambeth, in connection with Tuberculosis, Measles,
Cancer, etc. It is subject for congratulation that the epidemic
was not allowed to interfere with the routine work of the Di-infecting
Department.