View report page

48
Parish of St. Georye the Martyr, Southwark.
Supplementary Report on Room Disinfection in the Parish of St. George the
Martyr, Southwark, by the Medical Officer of Health.
Ladies and Gentlemen,—In accordance with the wish expressed by several
Members of your Vestry, I have drawn up an outline of the chief points involved in
efficient room disinfection. The subject may be considered under the two heads of
administration, (a) of Office, (b) of Household.
(a) Office.— Under this heading will be taken (1) Notification; (2) Serving of
Notices; (3) Keeping of Books; (4) Enforcement of Public Health Act; (5) Granting
of Certificates.
These various duties are discharged by the Medical Officer of Health, by his
Inspectors, by the part services of a Sanitary Clerk, and by the Disinfectors; all acting
under the Health Committee.
(1) Notification.—Notifications of infectious disease are sent in by medical men
at all hours of the day, and are at once opened in the office. It has hitherto been the
custom of the Chief Inspector to send one of the disinfectors, when available, to the
householder to ascertain whether the friends consented to removal to a fever hospital.
Subsequent action is guided by that answer. If the patient is to be removed, the clerk
telephones to the central office of the Asylums Board, giving details and asking for the
ambulance to be sent. Should the friends object to a removal the District Inspector
makes a visit, and if he thinks the case unfitted for home treatment he attempts to
persuade the friends to that effect. Failing that, he communicates with the Medical
Officer, who usually pays a visit in person. In all cases a District Inspector inspects
the premises immediately after notification.
A daily record of notifications is made by the clerk in a special register. A second
smaller book is also kept for a similar record, with blank spaces to be filled in by the
responsible officers after disinfection has been completed, and by the inspectors to show
they have visited the house.
(2) Notices.—Notice of infection has to be sent within twelve hours to the Metropoltan
Asylums Board, and also, in the case of children, to the schools they may be
attending. These notices are drawn up by the clerk and sent by hand or post. Both
notices are entered on counterfoil in notice book.
If the friends assent to removal, a telephonic message to that effect is despatched
to the Asylums Board. A copy of the original notification is then sent to the friends
of the patient, to be delivered to the attendant in charge of the Asylums' ambulance.
This copy has usually been delivered at the house by one of the disinfectors.
In every case, according to the directions of the Public Health Act (sections 62 and
65) a special notice (on a printed form) is given to the master of the infected house,
directing him to disinfect rubbish before removal, etc. This notice is served by the
inspectors.
In case the friends refuse the removal of patient, a printed notice is sent for their
medical attendant to fill up, as to readiness for final disinfection. This is delivered by
the inspectors. If the friends of patient refuse to allow disinfection, a certificate is
drawn up by the Medical Officer of Health, saying that disinfection is necessary. The
Sanitary Authority then serves a notice that such work must be executed forthwith.
Certificates to employers that premises have been disinfected are given to applicants
on the old, and now disused, school forms for certifying disinfection. There are no
counterfoil for these documents, which are rarely issued (perhaps a dozen have been
signed during the last three years).