View report page

15
storage of food and less satisfactory standards of hygiene
may be contributory factors.
Despite the considerable problems which rodent control
still poses, associated as they are with many factors some
of which are mentioned above, the staff undertaking this
work are tackling them energetically, making full use of
up-to-date techniques. The co-operation of the public in
this matter is also a valuable part of the system of
control.
Disinfection
Not so long ago the principal work of a cleansing and
disinfecting station was directed towards the control of
infectious diseases. This entailed the disinfection of
rooms at the termination of a notifiable disease, and the
sterilisation of bedding, articles of clothing, books and
so on. That the position has now changed will be evident
from the following figures:-
1963
1954
Rooms disinfected
14
586
Lots of bedding disinfected
21
369
As the major infections have been brought under control
terminal disinfection has been reduced to a minimum, but
it has taken a little time for the public to understand
that of far greater importance in any infectious condition
is concurrent disinfection - the carrying out of simple
Precautionary measures during an illness. Afterwards,
People are encouraged to ventilate the rooms thoroughly,
to cleanse with soap and water and to hang bedclothes in
the open air. But for those who wish, the facilities of
the disinfecting station are always available.
The washing of soiled articles is now a major part of
the work of the station. The 10,500 articles washed were
almost entirely from the homes of the elderly. A significant
item - peculiar to 1963, fortunately - is the
drying of 720 articles from homes in which the pipes had
burst. Finally, the incinerator destroyed 128 tons 13 cwt.
of unsound food, furniture and other material, a proportion
of it from other organisations.