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79
Disinfection.— Disinfection of rooms from which patients suffering from
notifiable infectious disease have been removed is carried out by means
of the formaldehyde spray. For non-notifiable infectious conditions
disinfection is carried out on request, and a charge is made according to
the circumstances of the case.
Bedding and wearing apparel are removed to the disinfecting
station, and are there submitted to steam disinfection. Books are
treated with formalin.
The cleansing of persons and disinfection of clothing, etc., in a
verminous state are carried out by the disinfecting staff. Visits were
paid to 133 houses, and 8,738 articles of clothing, bedding, etc., were
removed for disinfection. Individuals, numbering 443 men, 37 women,
and 3 children (under school age), were given medicated baths at
the disinfecting station, making 512 attendances.
Notices from the London County Council in regard to school children
affected with vermin numbered 12. The disinfecting foreman and
the sanitary inspectors paid 35 visits of investigation to their homes.
By agreement with the London County Council, arrangements are in
force for the treatment at the Westminster disinfecting station of school
children from the boroughs of Battersea, Chelsea, Holborn, Kensington,
Lambeth, St. Pancras, St. Marylebone, Fulham, and Stoke Newington.
Among Westminster school children 346 cases of head lice, and 19 of
scabies were treated. In all these cases, the clothing was disinfected,
together with the bedding from their homes, amounting in all to 930
articles. Children from the above-mentioned boroughs treated for similar
conditions were as follows: 144 for head lice, and 5 for scabies. The
total number of attendances of school children for baths at the
disinfecting station was 962.
The following table shows the total number of individuals treated
at the station for verminous conditions: