London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hackney 1913
Report on the sanitary condition of the Hackney District for the year 1913
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In addition to these disinfections there were 163 articles
destroyed on request from the owners. These are set out in the
following table:—
Articles Destroyed.
Beds 36 Pillows 15
Bolsters 5 Palliasses 36
Blankets 4 Rugs 1
Caps 1 Sheets 4
Cushions 12 Sundry Articles 28
Mattresses 21
Total 163
(c) Public Library Books.—During the year, 323 books from
homes in which infectious diseases had occurred were disinfected.
Of this total, there were 280 books which had been borrowed from
the Hackney Borough Library and 43 from other Libraries. The
method of disinfection practised is to expose the open books in
a closed chamber to the action of formic aldehyde gas, which is
generated in a lamp from formalin tablets.
| Month. | Number of Books Disinfected. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| From Hackney Public Library. | From other Libraries. | Totals. | |
| January | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| February | 5 | ... | 5 |
| March | 17 | ... | 17 |
| April | 21 | 1 | 22 |
| May | 25 | 3 | 28 |
| June | 16 | 2 | 18 |
| July | 37 | 3 | 40 |
| August | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| September | 24 | 6 | 30 |
| October | 45 | 4 | 49 |
| November | 28 | 1 | 29 |
| December | 54 | 19 | 73 |
| Total | 280 | 43 | 323 |
In addition to these, two boxes of books were destroyed
on request from their owner.