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27
The 475 houses disinfested are divided as follows:—
Furniture and effects prior to re-housing from Clearance
Areas and overcrowded houses 178
Houses disinfested on Council's Estates prior to redecora-
tion 57
Houses disinfested at request of owners or as a result of
inspection 240
In connection with removals from Clearance Areas, tenants are
discouraged from taking unnecessary furniture with them, and are
persuaded to leave badly infested articles, which are then burnt by the
Department. A large number of tenants buy new furniture.
The method of disinfestation is as follows:—
First Day:—
Bedding, rugs, mats, cushions, curtains, wearing apparel and all
loose material are removed from the house and taken to the disinfecting
station for steam disinfection.
Bedsteads are dismantled, drawers removed from furniture, and
all loose paper removed from backs of pictures.
All removable woodwork—skirtings, architraves, etc.—is taken
down and flamed with the blow lamp.
The blow lamp is also applied to holes and cracks in the plaster.
The rooms are then disinfected by burning sulphur (1 lb. for every
200 cubic feet), and left thoroughly sealed until the next day.
Second Day:—
The floors and furniture are thoroughly brushed and dusted, the
contents of the rooms, the ceilings and walls are sprayed with disinfesting
solution made in the Department, care being taken to get the fluid into
every crack.
The work is carried out by direct labour and the premises are
visited at the expiration of ten days after disinfestation. If the
premises appear to be free from bugs the owner is instructed to replace
skirtings, etc., and distemper walls and whiten ceilings.
The premises are revisited at the expiration of one month and again
after three months.