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* This table does not include the work carried out at Wood Lane on behalf of the
Paddington borough council.
The total weight of the bedding, clothing, etc., of Kensington residents disinfected was 49
tons 19 cwts. 2 qrs. 19 lbs. The number of articles disinfected only was 20,203 and the number
disinfected and washed, 1,072.
The laundry work for the medicinal baths is performed at the disinfecting station and this
work involved in 1932 the washing of 9,927 towels, 248 sheets and 54 other articles.
The Paddington authority have entered into an agreement with the council for the disinfection
of all articles removed from Paddington homes to be performed at the Kensington disinfecting
station. As the Paddington council require certain of the articles to be washed after disinfection,
the charge was fixed at 20s. per cwt. of articles dealt with, but there is a proviso in the agreement
that the minimum payment per annum is to be £600.
The weight of Paddington articles disinfected in 1932 was 21 tons 4 cwts. 0 qrs. 8 lbs.
The number of articles disinfected only was 5,684 and the number disinfected and washed was
1,993.
Disinfection of Library Books.
In view of the difficulty of securing efficient disinfection of books, the libraries committee
authorise the medical officer of health to destroy all public library volumes removed from
infected houses; this gives Kensington borrowers protection from infection from the council's
books.
The number of books from the Kensington public libraries destroyed during the year by the
officers of the public health department was 85. The number of private subscribing library books
destroyed was 30, and the number disinfected by formalin and returned to the householders was 21.
Bacteriological Work.
The work performed by the bacteriologist for the council during the year 1932 was as follows :—
Disease suspected. Examinations. Positive.
Diphtheria 1,992 177
„ (animal inoculations) 12 2
Tuberculosis (sputum) 302 38
„ (faeces) 1 —
(fluid) 1 —
„ (urine) 2 —
Typhoid fever (blood) 20 3
„ (faeces) 8 2
„ (urine) 1 —
Dysentery (faeces) 50 24
„ (urine) 4 —
Gonorrhoea 5 4
Ringworm 18 3
Cerebro-spinal meningitis 2 —
The following examinations were also carried out :—
Milk (bacterial count) 59
„ (tubercle bacilli) 12
„ (fat estimation) 7
In addition to these examinations at the Kensington laboratory, 502 specimens of sputum
-were examined at the tuberculosis dispensary.