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and every register indexed. For a number of years past the existing registers
have been indexed, and the registers of additional classes of premises dealt
with, and for which new registers have been formed from time to time have
also been indexed, and more recently the returns received by the Department
have also been indexed. As these indexes are all on one basis, namely,
according to streets and premises, it now becomes possible to construct a
Master Index should it at any time be considered that the labour involved in
such a compilation would be commensurate with its utility for reference. For
instance, there are now annual indexes of the returns of births, of the returns
of deaths under one year of age, of the returns of deaths at all ages ; indexes
of the registers of infectious diseases notified, of the complaints made, of the
notices served, of the drainage works executed, and of course of all registered
and listed premises.
Special Inspector's Report.—The following is the Report of the Special
Inspector:—
To the Medical Officer of Health.
Sir,
I beg to submit my Report for the year, 1905.
Small Pox.—I investigated the only two cases of small pox notified during
the year. The infected rooms were fumigated and sprayed by the disinfectors,
and the surfaces were stripped and cleansed by the Works Department.
Infectious Disease Contact Shelter.—43 persons came to the shelter, received
a warm bath, and had their clothing steamed As the disinfection of premises
has been expedited by substituting spraying for stripping the walls of
infected rooms, it was not necessary for the shelter to be used during the
night.
Disinfection.—1,092 rooms were sprayed and fumigated during the year.
The process of fumigating and spraying the surfaces of infected rooms has
been found to answer satisfactorily. 39,180 articles were steamed in addition
to the wearing apparel of verminous persons and infectious disease contacts.
7,403 articles were fumigated in the specially constructed chamber, which
could not be treated with steam without damage or destruction. 367 articles
were destroyed by fire with the owners' consent.
The work at the disinfecting station is gradually increasing ; in addition to
steaming the articles infected by patients suffering from the various notifiable
diseases, the wearing apparel of infectious disease contacts, and verminous
persons attending the baths, the verminous articles from infested rooms and
articles from rooms in which non-notifiable cases of infectious diseases occur
are also steamed, which is an additional tax on the machines.
Personal Cleansing Station.—3,401 persons attended during the year and
received a warm bath; while in the bath the wearing apparel was steamed.
A number of persons, mostly men, have attended at the station more than
once: although an offer is made to remove the bedding from the dwelling of
each person the offer is practically never acceptcd.