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78
House the furniture and other articles were tested by the fumigation
company's operators in order to ensure perfect freedom from gas
before delivery to the flats. After the first day the deliveries were
completed by about 7.30 p.m.
Bedding materials were collected in the Public Health Department's
disinfecting vans and all bedding was put through the steam
disinfecting apparatus at the Disinfecting Station and delivered at
Powell House the same afternoon. An average of 260 articles of
bedding were dealt with each day.
The collection, checking, re-packing and delivery of the articles
were supervised by a Sanitary Inspector, assisted by the Department's
disinfecting staff.
Useless articles were collected and removed to the Disinfecting
Station for destruction as the work proceeded.
By these means it was possible to disinfest daily, on an average,
the furniture and other possessions of eleven families, and the work
was completed on the tenth day (2nd June).
A summary of the work is as follows:—
] 00 families were removed from their former homes, and their
furniture, etc., treated with cyanide gas at the Disinfecting
Station and forwarded to Powell House.
376 beds and 2,264 articles of bedding and clothing were
collected and put through the steam disinfecting apparatus
at the Disinfecting Station and delivered to Powell House
the same day.
43 beds and 22 articles of bedding and clothing were removed
and destroyed.
8 van-loads of old furniture were removed for destruction.
52 houses vacated at Banister Street, College Street and
Homerton Row were fumigated and closed to prevent
migration of bugs.
Refuse left at the clearance areas was burnt in the gardens.
The tenants are now in residence in flats free from vermin and
no complaints of the presence of vermin have been made by the
tenants or by the Housing Welfare Visitor, whose duty it is to visit
the flats from time to time.
These proceedings aroused considerable interest among other
authorities. There can be no doubt that the speed with which the
work was carried out and the entire absence of complaints by the
tenants resulted from the close co-operation which existed between
the Borough Engineer's and the Public Health Departments.