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sequence, made with the Guardians to permit infected
bedding from this district to be stoved in the steam disinfector
used at the Infirmary, and a cart for the conveyance
of such articles was ordered. It is satisfactory,
therefore, that soon after the commencement of the
year, bedding, &c., will receive proper and adequate
disinfection.
As regards “fumigation,” it is a popular supposition
that the “fumigation” of a room after infectious
disease makes the room perfectly safe, but it is very
probable that “fumigation,” by itself, is practically useless,
as has been shown by bacteriological investigation. Four
processes are necessary before a room and its contents
can be regarded as adequately disinfected, viz., fumigation,
storing, ventilation, and cleansing. The fumigation
is already done, and ventilation too, for the fumigation of
a room with sulphur dioxide necessarily involves subsequent
ventilation, more or less prolonged and thorough,
before the room becomes habitable again. “Storing”
will be done very shortly, and the “cleansing” of a room
is therefore the one process remaining which the servants
of the Authority do not carry out, and I strongly
recommend that it should be so done. The practice at
present is to serve a notice on owners of houses, calling
upon them to strip walls, cleanse floors, and whitewash
ceilings. Putting on one side the hardship this might
involve in certain cases, on persons free from blame in the
matter, it is inevitable that such work is often delayed,
and when done, is often badly done. I would, therefore,
strongly urge the Authority to sanction a slight increase
in their staff, so that the whole of the disinfection process
may be carried out by them, and as a sequel the
Authority should, I think, consider whether disinfection
of rooms should not, in all cases, be done free of cost.