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20
the room with soap and water are all that is really required.
Nevertheless disinfection of rooms and their contents after in—
fectious disease has been carried out so generally and for so many
years that it would probably be wrong to refuse disinfection where
it is requested, and in any case, even in these days one cannot be
sure in every case that a room will be thoroughly cleansed after an
illness.
In hospitals and nursing homes the problem is quite
different. Wards are in continuous use by a number of patients
and the danger is one of cross-infection where a patient who is
already ill becomes infected with "germs" which are introduced by
another patient with possibly serious consequences, In these case
the disinfection of blankets in particular is of great importance in
reducing the amount of cross infection and as was stated in the last
report a method has been found of sterilizing blankets and other
woollen articles repeatedly without damaging the material as the
ordinary process is apt to do, if carried out many times,
During the year, 135 rooms were disinfected after infectious
disease in 109 premises and a total of 7,541 articles were
passed through the steam chamber. This figure includes a
regular weekly collection from one hospital of approximately 100
blankets.
There is still a demand for the disinfection of parcels of
clothing prior to dispatch abroad and 135 parcels belonging to
private individuals were disinfected to comply with regulations in
the receiving countries. The normal charge for this service is
five shillings per parcel,
Disinfestation of premises infested with vermin is now
carried out with insecticides which have a prolonged effect over
weeks or months and massive infestation is now very unusual.
Members of the public, however, call for disinfestation at the
first signs of infestation. Evidence of infestation is not always
found but if bugs or fleas are found in any room which is being
sprayed the adjoining rooms are also treated. Cockroaches are
also not uncommon in some of the older houses and about one
quarter of the rooms treated were dealt with for this purpose.