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39
Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health—1896.
Special Report by the Medical Officer of Health upon Room Disinfection as
practised in the Parish of St. George=the=Martyr, Southwark, and
commented upon by a Report from a Health Subcommittee.
Ladies and Gentlemen,—As you are aware, on the 1st of December a Report
was placed before the Vestry by the Public Health and Sewers Committee. The
document contained the conclusions of an inquiry by a special Sub-Committee into tbe
question of room disinfection as practised in your Parish. A corrected copy of that
Report was placed in my hands only a few hours before its presentation to the Vestry.
I therefore asked leave to defer any remarks I might have to make until 1 had given
due consideration to the many important points raised in the Report. That course was
the more necessary because some of the statements contained therein appeared to reflect
more or less upon the administration of my Department, and because I was not
furnished with a copy of the evidence upon which those statements had been based.
Nor has that evidence since been forthcoming.
Speaking broadly, this Report condemns the present system of room disinfection
in your Parish, and with that condemnation I am bound to agree. In many points the
system is clearly open to improvement, as I have often urged in my reports.0 While
much has been done in the four-and-a-half years I have had the honour to act as your
Medical Officer of Health, there can be no doubt that we are still far from having
reached any ideal methods.
The Report may be conveniently divided into (1) Criticism of present disinfecting
methods and administration; (2) Suggested remedies.
1. Criticism of present methods of disinfection and administration.—One of the
chief points is that I do not keep sufficient books regarding infectious cases. In 1892,
when I succeeded to the office, there was one notification book in existence, and one
notice form for schools. There are now in 1896, eleven books and eight notice forms.
Of these 1 give a list:—
Books 1 Complaint Book.
2, 3 4 Three letter books—(a) Medical Officer's, (b) Inspector's, and (c)
Notification for copies of reports to Asylums Board.
5 Special School Notice Book.
G Disinfecting Book.
7 Inspector's Infectious Case Book.
8 Office Notification Book.
9 Doctor's and Nurses' (Asylums Board) Notification Books.
10 Infectious Disease Register.
11 Disinfected Articles Receipt Book.
Notice Forms 1 Certificate of need of disinfection and cleansing (M.O.H.'s.).
2 Notice to disinfect and cleanse.
* "The Parish Premises and Apparatus used for the disinfection and destruction of infected
articles;" "A proposed Reception House for the temporary shelter—whilst disinfection is pending—of
the families of those suffering from infectious diseases;" and "Report on proposed Disinfecting
Apparatus and Reception House, at Nos. 23 and 24, Market Street," Annual Report for 1892. " Report
on Suggested Incinerator," Annual Report for 1895.