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104
the incidence of nuisance varying with change in the direction of the wind. That the cause of
nuisance is more or less under control, would appear from the intermittency of the complaints;
and as the smells are at times not perceptible to any noxious degree in the vicinity of the works.
DISINFECTION.
The Public Health (London) Act, 1891 imposed additional duties on the sanitary authority
in the matter of disinfection,* the practical effect of the legislation of late years having been to
throw upon the rates the cost of disinfecting houses, and of disinfecting and cleansing of bedding,
clothing, etc. The cost of this work has largely increased since the Act came into operation, in
1892; the amount expended in 1905 was £719, compared .with £381 in 1891. In the iatter year
the weight of the articles disinfected was under 20 tons, their number being about 9,400 only;
whereas in 1905 some 18,831 articles were dealt with, of an aggregate weight of 39£ tons, whilst
eight hundred rooms, in 711 houses, were disinfected after infectious disease, compared with 364 in
1891.
The expenditure on disinfection, including cleansing of clothing, bedding, etc. varies from
year to year, with the prevalence of infectious disease. Very few disinfections are now done at
the cost of the occupiers of houses, or the owners of clothing, bedding, etc. I append a statement
of the monthly cost of this work in 1905, which is irrespective of the wages of the disinfecting
officer.
£. s. d.
January 51 5 7
February 37 17 8
March 69 14 2
April 48 15 10
May 88 11 4
June 59 17 9
July 68 14 9
August 56 10 2
September 64 3 8
October 51 7 4
November 73 1 8
December 48 19 11
In previous reports an opinion was expressed that the expenditure on disinfection might,
possibly, be reduced, were the work done without the intervention of a contractor: this opinion
will be subjected to the test of experience shortly, when the Council's station at Wood Lane,
Shepherd's Bush, now approaching completion, shall have been brought into operation.
TEMPORARY SHELTER OR HOUSE ACCOMMODATION.
The Public Health (London) Act, 1891 (section 60, sub-section 4), requires the sanitary
authority to make provision for housing persons during the time necessary for the disinfection of
their rooms after infectious disease. The need for this provision is shown by the fact that last year
101 cases of infectious disease occurred in families in occupation of three rooms; 124 cases in
families occupying two rooms, and 36 cases in families herded in single rooms. Of the sufferers in
families occupying single rooms, 16 had scarlet fever, 10 had diphtheria, and 10 had enteric fever.
In the report for 1904 a statement prepared for the information of the Public Health Committee,
exhibited the number of cases of infectious disease which had occurred in tenements of less
than four rooms in the eleven years 1894-1904, an d the diseases from which the persons suffered
who had resided in single room tenements. The figures indicated an improved state of affairs in
recent years.
* In the report for 1893, (pp. 215-217), under the heading "Duties of the Sanitary Authority with respect to Disinfection,"
I explained the state of the law, and described the late Vestry's practice in regard to the matter.