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143
Disinfecting Department.
The work carried out during the year 1908 in connection with
this branch of the Public Health Department was of a very
arduous character. The continued prevalence of infectious disease
during 1908 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.
During the year 4,583 infected rooms and 77,425 infected
articles have been disinfected, as compared with 5,085 rooms and
66,181 infected articles.
The disinfectant employed for disinfecting rooms was, in the
majority of instances, formaldehyde, applied either in the gaseous
form by means of the Schering Alformant lamp, or in solution as
"formalin," by means of a spray. Verminous rooms were fumigated
with sulphur dioxide, and bedding, wearing apparel, etc.,
from infected rooms were subjected to steam disinfection in the
Equifex disinfecting machine at the Council's Disinfecting Station.
Infected articles, which from their nature would have been
damaged if subjected to steam disinfection, were disinfected in the
specially constructed chamber at the Disinfecting Station by
means of formaldehyde.
A total number of 1,635 cases of notifiable infectious diseases'
were reported during the year 1908, but in addition to these a
large amount of disinfection was carried out in connection with
measles, tuberculosis, cancer, verminous houses, etc.
The outbreaks of diphtheria at the Infirmary and the Royal
Masonic Institution for Girls also gave rise to a large amount of
disinfecting work.
Of the compulsorily notifiable diseases, 1,635 have been dealt
with, and 115 schools have been disinfected in connection with
outbreaks of infectious diseases.