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12
DISINFECTION AMD DISINFESTATION
A summary of the routine work carried out in 1960 by the
disinfecting staff is shown in the following table
Houses disinfected after infectious disease 205 (313 rooms)
Houses disinfested after vermin 505 (1181 " )
Loads of furniture treated with
hydrogen cyanide 13
Total weight of furniture, bedding, etc. dealt with:-
Tons cwt. qtr. lb.
33 18 2 19
It is the practice of certain foreign countries to prohibit
the import of parcels of clothing, unless accompanied with a certificate
that the articles have been disinfected. The Council afford
facilities to persons desirous of sending clothing abroad, but make
a charge of 2/6d. for each certificate provided. During the year,
155 parcels of clothing were disinfected and the income amounted to
£19. 7s. 6d. The following table indicates the destination of these
parcels
No. of parcels
Czechoslovakia 101
Spain. 47
Hungary 1
Rumania 4
Turkey 1
Canary Islands 1
TOTAL 155
Some other countries allow the import of clothing if
accompanied by a certificate stating that no case of infectious
disease has occurred at the sender's address within twenty-one days
prior to mailing. During the year 38 such certificates were
issued.
H.C.N, (hydrogen cyanide) Disinfestation
With the manufacture and sale for general use of effective
insecticides, such as D.D.T., there has been a considerable
reduction in the number of infested houses in the borough. The
Council have, therefore, discontinued their policy of treating with
H.C.N, the furniture of all incoming tenants of new flats
irrespective of whether there was evidence of infestation or not.
The present scheme provides for the Council's Chief Housing Officer
to notify the Medical Officer of Health, in advance, of the names
and addresses of prospective tenants, and inspections of the
furniture and effects at the old homes are made by a public health
inspector. If infestation is found, the contents of the home are
collected by the Council's staff, disinfested at Wood Lane with
H.C.N, and then taken to the new flat. If no infestation is found,
the prospective tenant is allowed to move in directly to the new
flat. In all cases, the walls and ducts of the new flats are
treated with Gammexane smoke generators (B.H.C.) as a preventive
measure.
During 19&0, 106 new flats and 11 converted properties
became ready for occupation. In 9 cases the furniture of families
selected to move into these Council flats (or conversions) was found
to be infested and was treated with H.C.N, at the disinfecting
station.