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46
carry out cleansing. In mild cases and recurrences the Inspector
advises occupier as to the best practicable means of eradication.
In addition vermin fluid is issued from the Public Health
Department to occupier on certificate of Sanitary Inspector.
Experimental work is continuous, all the inspectors being
naturally interested in the search for some innocuous easily
handled insecticide suitable for all purposes.
3. Council property which becomes infested.
In some cases special furnished dwellings are set aside
for temporary occupation by families while the house or flat and
effects are cleansed. In other cases the isolation shelter, which
at one time was in common use in cases of infectious disease,
is used.
In the case of a flat, Hydrocyanic Acid Gas is not desirable,
and in the case of a non-detached house the adjacent house
or houses should be evacuated to give a reasonable margin of
safety if the gas is used.
Some time ago this Committee supported a resolution of
the Metropolitan Joint Committee that legislation should be
introduced to give Local Authorities statutory power to provide
dwellings for such purposes.
4. Clothing and bedding, etc.
In all types of cases these materials can be satisfactorily
dealt with by steam disinfestation.
5. Furniture.
There is no doubt that the best method here is Hydrocyanic
Acid Gas applied to container under cover of an open shed,
centrally placed in an open space of good size. Contractors
undertake this work probably at far less cost than the Local
Authority could themselves carry it out. As in the case of
bedding and clothing, the clean material can be delivered at
the new premises in re-housing cases or delivered to the disinfested
dwelling in others.
General remarks.
The bed bug causes no known diseases directly, but indirectly
has a lot to answer for, e.g., septic sores, lack of sleep, nervous
affections of children, etc.
Facilities at present available for dealing with the problem
here fall far short of those desirable and I have to submit the
following points for the consideration of the Committee.
(a) As to whether infested houses subject to demolition
orders should be fumigated.