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the morning articles removed the previous day and which have been disinfected, and returns with
those about to be disinfected.
The vestry have decided to provide for the district a steam disinfecting apparatus.
(b) Rooms.—These are fumigated with sulphur, or with formaldehyde, or sprayed with formaldehyde
solution with the equifex spraying machine. The last-mentioned method is chiefly resorted to
in the case of rooms which cannot be closed, such as cubicles and school-rooms. The disinfection of
rooms is done by men employed by the vestry. Instructions are given to the householder to wash
furniture and floors with disinfecting soap and solution supplied by the authority. As a rule no
further action is taken, but if the walls and ceilings are dirty a notice is served by the sanitary
authority to cleanse and whitewash.
No charge is ever made for disinfection. With few exceptions all the disinfection in the district
is carried out by the sanitary authority.
Temporary shelter.—A three-storey house has been provided for the use of persons during the
disinfection of their rooms. There are two rooms furnished as sleeping rooms, with beds and washstands,
and one room as a living room, with cookinsr range. There is also a bath room supplied with
hot and cold water. Crockery and cooking utensils and fuel are provided. Considerable use has been
made of the accommodation, probably about fifty families having taken advantage of it during the last
twelve months.
Kensington.
(a) Articles of bedding and clothing.—The disinfection of clothing and bedding is carried out by
a contractor (Messrs. Chilcote and Son, Hythe-road, Cumberland-park, Willesden) by arrangement
with the vestry. The apparatus in use is one of Messrs. Goddard, Massey and Warner's steam
disinfecting stoves. Clothing is also washed and cleansed before being returned. The contractor
has separate vans in which the infected and disinfected articles are conveyed to and from houses. A
man engaged by the vestry accompanies the van to remove the articles and goes with them to the
contractor's premises.
(b) Rooms.—The disinfection of rooms is carried out by an officer of the vestry. Fumigation
by burning sulphur candles is practised. The householder is recommended to keep the room closed
for 24 hours, and generally it is so left overnight, but in a few instances it has happened that householders
have opened the rooms soon after closure. The vestry's disinfecting assistant does not attend
again at the premises in order to open the room, this being left to the tenant, but as a rule one of the
sanitary inspectors calls at the house on the day after the room has been closed with a view to
examining the sanitary arrangements.
If the room be dirty, notice is served to strip walls and cleanse, otherwise no cleansing is done
as part of the systematic disinfection, though it is stated that this no doubt would be undertaken by
the vestry under special circumstances, such as the outbreak of an epidemic.
No charge is ever made for disinfection.
It is quite exceptional for householders to have disinfection carried out by private arrangement.
Temporary shelter.—No temporary shelter has been provided, but accommodation is found by
the vestry if required.
Hammersmith.
(a) Articles of bedding.—At the present time disinfection by steam is being done by a contractor,
but a disinfecting apparatus has now been erected by the vestry and will be ready for use within a
week or so. It is situated at the wharf in Chancellor's-road, and the apparatus is one of Goddard,
Massey and Warner's pattern of steam disinfectors opening into two separate chambers, one for the
reception of the infected articles, the other for the articles after the process of disinfection is completed.
There is also a cremator for the destruction of bedding, &c. Adjoining and communicating with either
chamber is a shed for the two vans employed in conveying articles to and from premises, one of these
being used for articles after disinfection, the other for bringing them to be disinfected.
(b) Rooms.—These are fumigated by burning sulphur before anything is taken away for
disinfection by steam, the room being kept closed for three hours. The bedding is then removed and
everything is washed that is possible so to treat with a solution of carbolic acid (1 oz. to a gallon).
This is done by officers of the sanitary authority. It is not customary to strip the walls and whitewash
ceilings in all cases, but if the room is in need of cleansing apart from the procedure of disinfection,
notice is served for this purpose. In practice, however, it is found that rooms are generally cleansed
and papered by the landlord, this being needed, owing to the state in which they are left after being
washed by the vestry's men.
No charge is ever made for disinfection.
All disinfection done in the district is carried out by the vestry.
Temporary shelter.—No accommodation has been provided, but the vestry clerk and medical
officer of health have authority to obtain temporary accommodation in case of need. The need is said
to have occurred only on one occasion, when it was necessary to disinfect a room occupied by a woman
who at the time was in her confinement.
Fulham.
(1) Articles of bedding, clothing, &c.—This is done by Messrs. Lacey, with whom the vestry
have a contract for fetching from houses, disinfecting by steam, and returning all articles in cases of
infectious disease. The expenditure thus incurred is about £800 per annum on an average.
The sanitary authority have now decided to provide a disinfecting apparatus for their district
in connection with the scheme to provide a dust destructor. It will probably be completed in some
eighteen months.
(2) Rooms.—The disinfection of rooms is carried out by officers of the authority, after the
removal of articles of bedding, &c. The method in practice is fumigation with sulphur and washing of
walls, floors and ceilings with a solution of corrosive sublimate. Notice is then served on the master
of house to strip walls and repaper, and if this is not complied with, the sanitary authority execute the
work without charge.