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24
ON THE SANITAIIY CONDITION OF
nature.* From the above remarks it will be gathered that it is
equally important to have roads and streets free from all kinds of
filth and dust. The thorough cleansing of the streets in this
District shows that this requirement is duly appreciated by your
Board. The method which has been adopted by your Board for
many years of washing the streets and courts of the District is
undoubtedly of the highest value, not only to those resident
in the district but to the health of the many who have occasion
to pass through it.
Disinfection.
During the twelve months ending 31st December, 1898, 96
premises were purified and cleansed after infectious disease, and
1,976 articles were disinfected in your Board's apparatus; 40
articles were burnt in your Destructor at the request of the owners.
One of the cells at Bow Street Police Station was fumigated.
House Disinfection.—During the last two years I have been
engaged in a series of experiment, with the view of determining
whether any better method of disinfecting rooms, could, with
advantage, be substituted for fumigation by burning sulphur,
which has been suspected to be unreliable in its action, and I
submitted a report on the subject during 1898, which is appended
hereto. It was considered by your Health Committee, who recommended
that fumigation by sulphur be discontinued as a routine
practice, and that the more efficient and economical method of
using formic aldehyde in gas or spray be substituted, which was
agreed to by your Board. The necessary apparatus having been
provided, these methods were adopted and have proved very useful
and convenient in working. I have recently had some further
experiments made with the assistance of Dr. J. Wilkinson, in
connection with an apparatus for producing formic aldehyde in
greater quantity than could be done with the alformant lamp.
Our experiments, however, did not satisfy us that it was likely to
be as effective as the method already adopted.
The Temporary Shelter for the reception of persons while their
houses are being disinfected was not used for this purpose during
1898.
* See also Pages 39.43 of this Report.