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66
The following number of articles was dealt with at the Wood Lane Disinfecting Station
during the year:—
Articles disinfected only 14,416
Articles disinfected and washed free of charge 2,590
Total articles dealt with in 1913 17,006
CLEANSING STATION.
In November 1913, the Council took over for use as a station for the cleansing of verminous
persons the Casual Wards in Mary Place at an annual rent of £80. For more than a year the
Metropolitan Asylums Board have had no occasion to accommodate casuals in the wards, and it is
not likely that the wards will again be required for this purpose. In the receiving rooms six baths
are provided, three on the ground floor and three on the first floor. The Council have installed in
the wards adjoining the bath room on the ground floor a machine for disinfection by steam at a
temperature of 212 degrees F. under atmospheric pressure. The cost of the machine was £80,
and the cylindrical disinfecting chamber is 5 ft. in length with a diameter of 2 feet. The station
has been staffed by the appointment of a married couple who reside on the premises. The husband
receives 20s. a week as superintendent of the station, and is responsible for the working of the
disinfector and the bathing of adult males. The wife receives 15s. a week and is required to bathe
females and children.
Under a contract with the Education Authority the Borough Council have agreed to receive
verminous children sent to the station by the school nurses from the elementary schools. For the
use of the station and its equipment the Borough Council are to receive payment at the rate of 2s.
for each child cleansed. Technically in accordance with the provisions of the Childrens' Act, 1908,
children sent from the elementary schools are cleansed by the school nurse in the employ of the
London County Council, who attends at the station for the purpose, and is responsible under her
employers for the effective use of the apparatus provided. In practice the actual work of bathing
and disinfecting garments will be carried out by the Borough Council's servants under the supervision
of the school nurse. For adults and children not sent from the elementary schools the
superintendent and his wife will be responsible, and for the cleansing of such cases no charge will
be made. At the end of the year the equipment of the station was approaching completion, but
verminous persons were not admitted until the elementary schools re-opened after the Xmas holidays.
Verminous Rooms.—271 verminous rooms were cleansed during the year in response to
notices served under the powers conferred by the London County Council (General Powers) Act,
1904, 73 beds were disinfested, 4 verminous beds were destroyed, and 107 dirty beds were cleansed.
Rag Flock Act, 1911.—Four samples of rag flock were taken, analysed and reported on
during the year. One contained 36 parts of chlorine per 100,000, the limit set by the Regulations
being 30 parts, but the excess was so small that no action was taken beyond the sending of a caution
to the vendor. The other three samples in each case contained less than thirty parts of chlorine,
and complied with the statutory standard.
PUBLIC BATHS AND WASHHOUSES.