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the important duty of disinfection devolves upon the Borough
Councils, in accordance with Rule V. of the Rules framed by the
Central Midwives Board, and which is as follows:—
"Whenever a midwife has been in attendance upon a
patient suffering from Puerperal Fever, or from any other
illness supposed to be infectious, she must disinfect herself
and all her instruments and other appliances to the satisfaction
of the Local Sanitary Authority, and must have her
clothing thoroughly disinfected before going to another
labour. Unless otherwise directed by the Local Supervising
Authority, all washable clothing should be boiled, and other
clothing should be sent to be stoved (by the Local Authority),
and then exposed to the open air for several days."
In Battersea one of the tenements in the Reception Shelter is
used for the disinfection of midwives and monthly nurses who have
been in attendance on patients suffering from Puerperal Fever and
other infectious cases. The nurse has a disinfectant bath, and her
clothing, bag. instruments and other appliances are disinfected at
the Disinfecting Station which adjoins the shelter. During 1908,
5 midwives and 16 nurses attended at the Reception Shelter for
purposes of disinfection.
Mortuary.
The total number of bodies received at the mortuary in Sheepcote
Lane during 1908 was 259, as compared with 302 in 1907,
and an annual average for the Parish of Battersea for the five
years 1896-1900 of 288. On 247 of these bodies inquests were
held, and 12 were received for sanitary or other reasons.