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174
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1910.
quantities as not to wet the floor or by sweeping with sawdust damped with the fluid its action as a
germicide is efficient. There are objectionable properties which may be attributed to this particular
disinfectant, and these should be taken into consideration. It is hygroscopic, and for this reason dirt
is trodden into the floors. It is claimed for the fluid that it bleaches and thereby improves the colour
of the floors, but in every case it was observed that there was more discoloration after use, and in time
the floors appeared quite dark and dirty. A further disadvantage is that it rapidly oxidises metals,
coating them with rust or verdigris ; this moist rust coming into contact with clothing produces permanent
stains, with the result that the teachers complained of their clothing being "burnt." With regard to
the cleansing power of the fluid when used in dilution for the purpose of scrubbing the floors, the
schoolkeepers agree that it is beneficial, but it was observed that if the dilution was above a certain
strength the soap did not lather well and the cleansing and disinfecting power of the soap was impaired.
Some schoolkeepers state that the disinfectant is corrosive and destructive to clothing, scrubbing brushes,
brooms, etc., and that it irritates the skin and eyes. If ordinary care is taken and the fluid is properly
diluted such complaints can scarcely be justified. The teachers were not wholly favourable to its
use ; complaints being that the floors remained damp and had a stained appearance, producing a
depressing effect, and the preparation caused the floors to be slippery, causing minor accidents
among the children. On the other hand there was a noticeable diminution in the amount of vermin
found and that the air of the classrooms was sweeter. With regard to the incidence of measles it
cannot be said that the use of the disinfectant had any effect in controlling its spread, as in these
schools there were altogether 166 cases as compared with 170 cases in six exactly similar schools in
the immediate neighbourhood.
Washing.—The schools selected were in a particularly poor and crowded neighbourhood and
in most cases rather antiquated, thereby rendering more difficult the process of cleansing. At these
schools the floors and furniture of the classrooms, corridors, etc., were thoroughly cleansed once a week
with soap and water. A review of the experiment shows that the practice of weekly cleansing carried
out in a thorough manner is highly successful from a hygienic point of view. The floors of the class
rooms, halls, corridors and cloakrooms looked clean and white, and all the rooms had a bright and healthful
appearance. The air was sweet, cool, and free from dust, and even at the end of the session
there was a complete absence of stuffiness or human odour so frequently detected in naturally but
poorly ventilated schools in these districts. A further and highly satisfactory effect of the cleansing
was its action in allaying dust. When objects in the rooms, including the upper portion of pictureframes,
were touched, the hand showed no trace of dirt or dust, as is too commonly the case. The
schoolkeepers and teachers were thoroughly satisfied with the experiment, and attention was drawn to
the marked diminution of vermin. It was noted that in the selected schools there were only 129 cases of
measles as compared with 245 in six similar schools previously chosen in the immediate neighbourhood,
—i.e., Lower Chapman-street and Blakesley-street (St. George's-in-the-East), Senrab-street (Stepney),
Cayley-street, Thomas-street and Farrance-street (Limehouse), but both here and in the other
schools the numbers are comparatively small, and too much weight should not be assigned to them.
Comparative
Incidence.
Infectious Disease.
A review of the past year reveals a striking diminution in the incidence of scarlet fever and
diphtheria, both of which diseases appear to be passing through a stage of inactivity. Measles, on the
contrary, has been unusually prevalent, the figures both for the spring and autumn showing an
abnormal rate of incidence, the latter part of the year especially having been visited by an outbreak
probably unprecedented for the time of year (when measles usually appears to be somewhat quiescent),
which, as subsequent events have proved, was the beginning of an epidemic of almost unparalleled
intensity and prevalence.