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78
7-—Common Flock-beds in relation to Public Health.
I his subject gave a touch of sensationalism to the Congress—the
extremely filthy nature of common Flock-beds
being extensively advertised. Certain experiments (chemical
and bacteriological) have been carried out, showing the actual
extent of this "filthiness"—Bristol and Glasgow Flock-beds
being compared. The "filth" extracted from these beds
(new beds) was shewn in bottles, and it was startling to be
told that hundreds of thousands of persons in this country
are nightly sleeping upon stuff, which, after rinsing in water,
would produce a liquid, which, in respect of its chemical and
bacteriological composition, was similar to sewage ! It was
stated that one gramme of the flock of a Bristol bed was
found to contain no less than 10,500,000 bacteria, and one
gramme of the flock of a Glasgow bed 22,100,000 bacteria,
as compared with an average in sewage of 200,000 bacteria
to the gramme. Washing was not sufficient, steam sterilisation
being also necessary. These infected Flock-beds,
on shaking and beating, give off thousands of germs to the
surrounding atmosphere, settling afterwards upon food
stored in rooms wherein such beds are.
The following resolution was unanimously adopted:—
"That the Government be urged to make it illegal to manufacture
unclean and non-sterilised rags and other material
into bedding and other forms of upholstering."
8.—Hygienic Shoes.
This subject also gave a touch of sensationalism to the
Congress—it being pointed out that the soles of boots and
shoes may be made of adulterated leather or of no leather at
all, and that the well-known "Bristol butts" (the thick sole
leather for which Bristol was once so noted), were rarely
used now-a-days. Lighter hides were now used by tanners,
and adulteration had cropped up in many directions, especially
amongst the American and Continental tanners, for the
purpose of increasing the weight and lightening the colour
of the leather used. Thus, glucose, Epsom salts and barium
are used in the tanning process, but they do not combine
with the leather at all as do the proper tanning materials.
The result is a poor leather, which is porous and non-water
resisting, with consequent damp feet and their attendant