View report page

19
PHTHISIS.
There were exactly the same number of deaths as last year.
Of the 81 deaths, four were under five years of age.
STEAM DISINFECTOR.
I wish to point out that this District stands in great need of a
Steam Disinfector.
At present, clothes, bedding, etc., are fumigated with sulphur in
the rooms where infectious cases have been dwelling, and, although
this method of disinfection is excellent in its way, I think the time has
arrived when we should endeavour to perfect our method of disinfection,
and avoid every possible risk by obtaining one of the numerous
machines which disinfect by steam.
At the Hospital alone there is a large amount of disinfecting
done, every precaution being taken with the patients' clothes to prevent
any risk of contagion. In addition to this there are some hundreds of
cases where the Sanitary Staff of your Council have to fumigate the
clothes after infectious disease. All this entails a vast amount of
work in both departments, and the establishment of a Steam Disinfector
would prove to be a great boon to the Hospital, to the Sanitary Staff,
and to the public at large.
During the past year, occasion arose when I was requested by
your Council to visit and report on a certain Steam Disinfector, but
the arrangements for purchasing it were not completed. I will not now
suggest any particular variety of the many Steam Disinfectors that are
in the market, but I hope that the very best one may be obtainable,
and that, too, without loss of time.