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59
The following methods were adopted in dealing with the affected
houses:—
A. Cleansing and disinfection of houses.
(1) Walls were stripped and cleansed from the high water mark
to the ground, floor boards were cleansed, and the whole
treated with a strong mixture of chloride of lime solution.
(2) Floor boards were lifted, and where necessary water pumped
out, and the under-floors surface treated with ground lime
and chloride of lime.
(3) Where oil was mixed with the flood water, walls were washed
with soap and soda before treatment with chloride of lime.
B. Supply of Coal in order to assist in the Drying of Floors and Walls.
Coal was supplied for use in the ground floor rooms in the
affected houses, and windows and doors were kept open to
hasten the drying of floors and walls.
In this work the following quantities of materials were used:—
Supplied by Works' Department.
Ordinary grey lime, 29 bushels.
Ground grey lime, 18 tons 16 cwts.
Bleaching powder (chloride of lime) 3 tons 6 cwt. 1 qtr. 20 lbs.
Supplied by Public Health Department.
Soap—1 case Sunlight, ½ case Lifebuoy.
Soda, 1 cwt.
Floor cloths (1 doz.).
In addition to the above, occupiers of affected houses were encouraged
to obtain liberal quantities of strong electrolytic fluid (hypochlorite
solution) at the various depots, for the general cleansing of the homes.
In special cases it was found necessary to repeat the liming process
and to increase the quantity of chloride of lime used.