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of 1½ to 2 per cent. for four to six hours, will penetrate the egg capsules and
kill the germ inside. HCN gas is extremely poisonous to all animals including
man, and in the course of the year four or live fatalities have been reported
in the national papers. There are no regulations at present issued by the
Ministry of Health in regard to its use, but these undoubtedly will be made
shortly.
When HCN gas is used in a house, all the furniture except bedding, etc.,
is allowed to remain inside the house. The bedding is removed to the Isolation
Hospital and is disinfested by steam. This is in order to avoid any localised
accumulation of gas in the bedding.
The precautions taken are as follows: A family occupying a house to
be gassed has to vacate the house from about 8 o'clock in the morning until
about 11 o'clock the following morning. The house is opened about 5 p.m.
on the day it is gassed and it is well ventilated throughout the night. Families
in adjoining houses are required to vacate their houses from about 8 o'clock
in the morning until about 0 o'clock in the evening. All the houses are locked
and the keys are left in the care of a representative of the firm carrying out
the work. After the gassed house is opened tests are made on the adjoining
houses and the occupants are not allowed to re-enter until the tests are found
to be negative.
(3) Methods employed for ensuring that the belongings of tenants are free from
vermin before removal to Council houses.
Applicants for Council houses have their houses inspected by one of
the sanitary inspectors and a note is made on a form as to whether the house
and/or the furniture is clean or dirty, and whether it is free from bug infestation
or is bug infested. If dirty, or if bug infested, general attempts are made to
get the condition remedied. A further inspection is made when the applicant
is placed on the approved waiting list, and if found to be bug infested
arrangements are made for the disinfestation of the furniture en route to the
new Council house. The bedding is disinfested by steam at the Isolation
Hospital on the same day.
(4) Method of carrying out the work.
Disinfestation by spraying is carried out by the Health Department at
a charge of 5/- per room. The owner or occupier is required to loosen the
picture rails, skirtings, architraves, etc. For disinfestation by HCN outside
firms are employed, and suitable guarantees and indemnities are insisted on.
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