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94
the nurse who arrives in the ambulance, in response to a
telegram. It is not necessary that the ambulance should
be sent for by the Sanitary Officials as appears to be
thought by many persons. This is important, as in some
instances on Sundays delay has been caused, the sanitary
office being closed. Books of ready printed forms have,
on our recommendation, been sent to every registered
medical practitioner residing in the district.
After removal of the patient to the hospital, or after
recovery, the premises and articles contained therein are
thoroughly disinfected under the supervision of our department.
First, every aperture of the windows and
fire-place and all doors, except one by which the room is
to be left, are closed by pasting strips of paper over
them and then sulphur is set alight to, provision being
made by means of a special apparatus, to prevent anything
in the room being burnt. Then the door of the
room is closed and pasted up from the outside, and the room
left for 12 hours, all infected articles having being spread
about the room. On opening the room next day it is
found smelling strongly, and the walls and furniture are
coated with powdered sulphur. The disinfecting process
has depended on the saturation of the air of the room with
sulphurous acid produced by the burning sulphur, which
penetrates into every crack and crevice, and also on the
sulphur itself, a certain amount of which has been
volatilised by the heat of the combustion, and has also
been driven into all possible openings. The extent to
which these substances penetrate may be understood by
taking a handful of feathers from the centre of a feather
bed that has been subjected to this treatment, when a
very strong smell of sulphur will be found. These are
both powerful destroyers of the microscopic living
organisms, which are believed to be the causes of the infectious
diseases, and which are thrown off from the
patient into the air and clothing.