View report page

124 Medical Officers of Health Annual Report.
have had a large increase in their duties generally, but it
is to be hoped that as the number of new houses erected
diminish, more time will be devoted to house to house
inspection.
During the year, 194 houses and 226 rooms have
been fumigated, and 20 L sets of bedding stoved by the
contractor. This latter has been carried out to my entire
satisfaction, and it is to be noted that no complaint was
received during the year by the department as to damage
or loss sustained in the process of disinfection.
One cab which was used to remove a case of
diphtheria from one house to another was disinfected.
Twenty-eight cases of overcrowding were abated, but
this was done without the necessity of taking legal action.
The majority of cases were in houses occupied by members
of the same family, and a re-arrangement of the sleeping
accommodation was all that was necessary to abate the
nuisance.
The severe frost in the beginning of the year disorganised
the water closets and cisterns in connection, in
many houses, and in consequence, the number of water
closets repaired shows a large increase.
Accumulations of manure are always a source of
nuisance, and in 43 cases notices were served to abolish
the nuisance. In many of these cases new dung receptacles
were ordered to be provided in accordance with the
Bye laws.
11 unwholesome houses were cleansed and repaired,
and one house was condemned as being unfit for human
habitation.