View report page

44
in quantity has been compensated for by a gain in quality, and the
restriction of the use of the agent to the attainment of an object
which is attainable. Thus, the employment of a large amount of
comparatively worthless disinfectants and the unscientific use of
otherwise serviceable agents is growing less and less, and it appears
probable that the near future will witness a further advance.
The hygienic needs of the school premises and of the
school-child demand that the disinfection of school
premises, which has been far too neglected in the past, shall
receive more attention in the future; for if we are to reduce school
infection to a minimum, surely a little more regard must be given to
this important branch of work. Hitherto, the disinfection of school
class-rooms has been almost restricted to occasions of the epidemic
prevalence of disease when it has largely affected the scholars of a
particular school, whereas it should be undertaken at frequent short
intervals all the year round. This is not the occasion on which to
dilate upon the special needs of school premises, but the circumstance
of crowding children together for many hours daily (these
children being at the most susceptible age periods for many diseases)
the difficulties of early diagnosis and the frequency of mild and
"carrier" cases, sufficiently account for the large amount of school
infection, and they combine to make an excellent case for more
disinfection and cleansing. The suggestion that the premises should
be disinfected at the close of each school week appears to advocate
rather an extreme view, but it is warranted by our knowledge of the
potential risks.
At a school, the class-room floors of which had not been scrubbed
for five weeks, I was able to obtain permission to have a small area
of flooring (about SO square feet) thoroughly scrubbed with hot
water, and the dirty water wrung out of the cloth was collected in a
Winchester quart bottle. The liquid, which was very dark and dirty,
but not otherwise offensive, was employed for the purpose of diluting