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for 1s. 3d., sufficient to fill a tick made of 4 yards of strong
double width hessian at 6¾d. per yard, the whole only costing
3s. 6d., it is generally easy to persuade the tenant to destroy
the old beds and get new.
Verminous feather beds, and the purchase of second-hand
infested bedding are two great sources of trouble. Persuasion
to substitute something else will seldom avail in the
case of the cherished feather beds, which are veritable breeding
grounds for vermin, and so disinfection has to be resorted to.
In many of the persistently verminous homes there has
been a marvellous improvement since the substitution of
straw beds for old flock or feather beds.
52. The following is Miss FitzGerald's report:—
Summary of Inspections.
Visits to houses after notifications of births 1475
Re-visits 303
Visits re infant death 38
Zymotic Enteritis cases investigated 120
Re-visits 27
Visits to cases of Phthisis 122
Ophthalmia Neonatorum 36
Ophthalmia (reported by Schools) 102
Special visits 120
Infants weighed at Consultation 863
Health Lectures given 3
Visits re verminous conditions 18
Reported to District Inspectors:—
Structural defects 5
Dirty interior walls 7
Other defects 10
Overcrowding 3