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from this cause is, from the health standpoint, of great importance,
and the conflicting views held by magistrates as to what
degree of black smoke constitutes a nuisance under Section 24,
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, will act as a deterrent to
Sanitary Authorities from taking cases into court, unless the
nuisance is to such a degree as to satisfy even the legal mind.
It is satisfactory to learn that the London County Council
intend to apply for powers for Sanitary Authorities in their
General Powers Bill for 1909 to amend the law in this
direction, and it is to be hoped that in the interest of the public
health they will be successful.
Disinfecting Department.
The work carried out during the year 1907 in connection
with this important department has been very satisfactory.
The continued prevalence during 1907 of infectious disease in
the Borough, in common with the Metropolis generally, imposed
a heavy strain on the Superintendent (Mr. Woodhouse) and his
staff; and it is satisfactory to be able to record that, notwithstanding
this heavy pressure of work, no cause for complaint
has arisen, and no claim for damage has been sustained against
the Council for injury to any article whilst undergoing disinfection.
During the year 5,085 infected rooms and 66,181 infected
articles have been disinfected, as compared with 2,848 rooms
and 66,934 articles in 1906. The large increase in the number
of rooms disinfected was due to the greater prevalence of
measles during 1907, it being the practice to disinfect rooms in
connection with this disease, but the bedding, &c., is not
removed for stoving, as is the routine practice in the case of
other infectious diseases.
The disinfectant employed for disinfecting rooms was, in
the majority of instances, formaldehyde, applied either by
means of the Schering Alformant lamp, or in solution as
“formalin" by means of a spray. Verminous rooms were