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Saturday, October 10th.
4.0.—A Conducted Tour round the Wards, etc., of the North Middlesex
Hospital has been arranged. Tea provided.
Use of Disinfectants.
The Council distribute disinfectants—liquid and powder—for general use
to residents who apply for same.
Every afternoon except Saturday, these are given away between 4 and 5,
and in the summertime the number of applicants is very numerous.
It is difficult to prove that they have any influence on health—on the
other hand, it is possible that harm is done, inasmuch as the users may depend
on them and neglect cleanliness. If a drain or sink gully becomes offensive,
it is not a remedy to pour down a liquid disinfectant, however strong it may
be; the correct remedy is to find the reason of the smell and get the cause
removed.
A good deal of the disinfectant must get into the drains and from thence
to the sewage farm; as the reduction of the organic matter depends on
bacterial action, it is possible that this action is retarded by the presence of
such an antiseptic.
The number of applicants during the year was 52,614—an increase of
5108 on the previous year—an average of a little over 200 each afternoon.
The disinfectant powder is also supplied to the dustmen for use after
emptying dustbins.
Rat Destruction.
The Council make arrangements with the County for the latter to supply
its official rat-catcher for the purpose of keeping down rats on the dust dump.
In addition, help is given by the Sanitary Staff in rat-infested premises by
testing drains, giving rat-poison, etc. As far as possible, isolated action is
avoided, as it only means driving the pests from one premises to another.
Offensive Trades.
There is one gut-scraping business in Lower Edmonton which is regularly
supervised.
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