View report page

69
The total number of persons cleansed during the year was 4,029 ; the total cleansings numbered
5,658.
The clothing worn by persons on their visit to the medicinal baths is disinfected, together with
such other articles of clothing as the patients may bring. Altogether 11,012 articles were so dealt
with and, in addition, 453 blankets and sheets, and 272 articles of night clothing.
Of the 3,341 school-children cleansed at the medicinal baths, 735 were compulsory cases ; the
remainder attended voluntarily.
Disinfestation.
The disinfestation of verminous houses and the furniture of families moving from old properties
to new housing estates is a branch of the work which has grown enormously in recent years ; and
with that growth there has been made considerable advance in the methods of attack against the
bed-bug.
Vermin infestation of the borough council's properties.
Inspection of a number of fiats under the ownership of one of the housing associations showed
a high degree of infestation with vermin, and suggested the importance of a routine inspection of
the properties owned by the borough council and occupied by the poorest members of the
community. In this routine inspection there were omitted the council's converted properties in
Elgin Crescent, Powis Square and Colville Terrace, and also the new flats at Talbot Grove House and
Southam House, which are known to be free from vermin.
The number of dwellings inspected was 307 and the majority of them are very old properties
which have been in the council's possession since before the war.
When it was reported that 62 per cent, of these 307 dwellings were infested with vermin, the
council decided to instigate systematic fumigation of their properties. To enable this to be done,
the housing committee placed at the disposal of the public health committee twelve flats in Seymour
King Buildings, which can be used as clearing houses to provide accommodation for families for a
night or two during the time their homes are being disinfested.
The twelve flats have been redecorated, furnished and equipped in a simple but comfortable
manner, and each one is ready for occupation at a moment's notice. Every necessity, including
beds, bed-linen, crockery, heating, lighting, cooking facilities, hot water system, etc., is available.
These clearing houses will enable the council to disinfest about 300 dwellings a year.
When the problem of infestation of the council's own property has been solved, these clearing
houses will enable the council to assist the housing associations and even private owners in ridding
their premises of vermin.
Treatment of Verminous Dwellings.
During the year officers of the public health department have endeavoured to discover a method
of house disinfestation which would be cheap and successful, but safer than the application of
hydrogen cyanide. Various substances have been experimentally applied, and that which appears
to be most successful is heavy naphtha, which was tried at the suggestion of the Government
Chemist.
At the date of writing about 250 premises have been fumigated with heavy naphtha or
pseudocumene (a purified form of heavy naphtha) and the results appear to be very good.
Experience is being gained in the methods of application, times of exposure, dosage, etc., and
there are reasonable grounds for hoping that a safe and successful fumigant has been found.
It will be wise, however, to defer a final opinion until the end of the summer, when an inspection
will be made of the houses treated.
The number of verminous premises treated with orthodichlorbenzene, heavy naphtha,
pseudocumene, sulphur and other chemicals during the year was 693, the total number of rooms
being 1,348. These disinfestations were carried out by the council's disinfestation staff, and, in
addition, owners cleansed 519 verminous premises in response to notices served under the Public
Health Acts.
Treatment of houses to be demolished.
When houses are demolished the woodwork frequently finds its way, either as firewood or for
repair purposes, into other houses, and thus vermin may be carried unsuspectingly from slum
houses to properties hitherto free. To avoid this possibility all condemned houses are disinfested
with orthodichlorbenzene prior to demolition.
The Disinfestation of Furniture, etc., with Hydrogen Cyanide.
The method introduced in the borough in 1934 to prevent the transference of vermin from old
vermin-infested houses to new housing estates continued in operation throughout the year.
All families who are allocated flats under rehousing schemes are notified that fumigation of their
furniture must be carried out before they can take up occupation of their new homes.
On the day of removal a specially constructed steel van arrives at the old home about 8 a.m.
when all furniture and effects are loaded into the vehicle, which then goes to the council's Wood
Lane depot. Bedding is removed from the van for disinfection by steam, after which hydrogen
cyanide is applied to the contents left in the van. The gas remains in contact with the furniture
for two hours and the process of extraction is then put into operation for four hours. Tests are made
to make sure that all the hydrogen cyanide has been extracted, after which the furniture and bedding
are transferred to the new home. The entire procedure of removal and fumigation is completed
during the same day so that the family experience no inconvenience. There is an exception, however,
in the case of upholstered articles, which are retained overnight in a warm, well-ventilated room;