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44
have been carried out, the one recommending the provision of air
efficient disinfecting machine (a suggestion which was also adopted
by the Board) has not yet been given effect to, though it is an important
one, having regard to the large number of persons living at
the Schools, viz., an average of about 600 children, together
with a full staff of servants, attendants, nurses, etc.
The uses for a disinfecting machine in an Institution such
as the Lambeth Schools are two in number, viz. (1) Routine,
and (2) Special.
With regard to No. (1) Routine use: it is found necessary
from time to time to disinfect bedding, clothes, etc.,
that are not necessarily infected with infectious disease, and
I cannot recommend that such disinfecting work should be
carried out at a public disinfecting station, where goods infected
with scarlet fever, diphtheria, or smallpox, etc., are
daily taken, and dealt with, as there must of necessity be
more or less danger of such bedding, clothes, etc., being
thereby accidentally infected.
With regard to No (2) Special use: the Borough Council
must be prepared, at all times, to carry out whatever disinfection
may be necessary in connection with outbreaks of
infectious disease throughout the Borough, and the Lambeth
Guardians in this respect, and under these conditions, are
entitled to use the public disinfecting station, as are other
public bodies and institutions within the Borough. The
Guardians would, however, be well advised if they did not
exercise their claims in this direction, as with such a susceptible
material as exists at Norwood Schools, there is
always the danger (slight though it may be) of infection
being introduced from such a public disinfecting station, or
there is at least the danger of the suggestion being made
that any disease that may occur amongst such susceptible
material afterwards has been introduced from a public disinfecting
station. It is for this reason that I have not the
slightest hesitation in repeating the advice which I have
already given the Guardians, viz., that an efficient disinfecting
machine is, in my opinion, an absolute necessity at the
Norwood Schools, in connection with which there is an Infirmary
and an Isolation Block, more especially having regard
to the number of inmates. The question of expense
is one that ought not to weigh with the Guardians in this