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150
DISINFECTION.
The Public Health (London) Act, 1891, imposes 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
cleansing and disinfecting bedding, clothing, &c. The cost of
this work has increased since the Act came into operation at
the beginning of 1892 : the amount expended in 1898 was
£717, as compared with £381 in 1891. In the latter year the
weight of the articles disinfected was under twenty tons, and
their number about 9,400 only; whereas in 1898, 19,473 articles
were dealt with, of an aggregate weight of 37 tons 8 cwt.
Seven hundred and ninety-six rooms, in 713 houses, were disinfected
after infectious disease by your Vestry's staff, as
compared with 364 in 1891.
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 your Vestry's
practice in regard to this matter. I need only observe now,
that the expenditure on disinfection, including cleansing of
clothing, bedding, &c., will necessarily vary from year to year,
in proportion to the relative prevalence of infectious disease ;
but under existing arrangements it is likely to increase as the
public become better acquainted with the provisions of the
Act. I append a statement of the monthly cost of this work
in 1898, amounting, as before stated, to £717, irrespective of
the wages of the disinfector, as compared with £381 in
1891
£
s.
d.
January 58 4 11
February 47 2 5
March 62 19 4
April 56 12 2
May 54 1 11