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
Deptford 1914
Annual report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford
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105
With a view to further minimising the risk of spreading infection
we have the power to destroy books belonging to the public libraries
which come from infected houses.
Your Medical Officer now recommends that all books which are
much worn and soiled should be destroyed. All books taken from
houses in which smallpox has occurred should be destroyed. All
books which have been used in the sick room, if there is a possibility,
however remote, of their conveying infection, should be dealt with in
the same way.
With regard to volumes which, although taken from infected houses,
have but a very remote likelihood of having retained infection, the
following system of disinfection may be carried out. The book is
placed on end and opened as far as can be, and is subjected to the
vapour of formalin for three hours. This process, if necessary, can
be repeated, and the books can be returned to the library none the
worse for the operation with the exception of a smell of formalin,
which passes off after a few days.
The chamber we use for this kind of disinfection, and also for other
small articles which would be injured by steam, as leather goods,
furs, boots, etc., is a specially constructed, zinc lined chamber 6-ft. 11 -in.
by 4-ft. 4½-in. by 1 -ft. 6-in., having a capacity of 45 cubic feet. An
alformant lamp is used.
The Medical Officer is unable to recall a single instance in which
infection has been conveyed by books, notwithstanding that he has
instituted inquiries in other districts of books taken from infected houses.
The degree of exposure of books whilst in infected houses varies
very widely, and it is not desirable to make any hard and fast rule as
to how books from infected houses should be dealt with.
| Total number of Premises disinfected | 1385 |
| „ „ Rooms ,, | 1582 |
| ,, ,, Beds ,, | 971 |
| ,, ,, Pillows „ | 1891 |
| ,, ,, Bolsters „ | 713 |
| ,, ,, Mattresses „ | 341 |
| ,, ,, Sheets ,, | 1057 |
| „ ,, Blankets ,, | 2041 |
| ,, ,, Odd articles ,, | 4770 |
| Total articles 11784 |
Total number of Beds destroyed 16
| „ „ Mattresses ,, | 17 |
| ,, ,, Blankets ,, | 3 |
| ,, ,, Odd articles ,, | 39 |
| ,, ,, Pillows ,, | 9 |
| ,, ,, Palliasses „ | 2 |
| ,, ,, Sheets ,, | 1 |
| „ ,, Bolsters ,, | 4 |
N.B.—The above articles were destroyed at the request of the owners.