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28
There was one case in which it was necessary to take legal
proceedings under the Order. The summons was withdrawn on
payment of one guinea costs the defendant having received treatment
for scabies in the interval between the issue of the summons
and the date fixed for hearing the case at the police court.
DISINFECTION AND DISINFESTATION.
The following is a summary of the work carried out by the
disinfection staff during the year:—
(a) after the occurrence of infectious and contagious diseases :
Number of rooms disinfected 3,981
Number of articles of bedding and clothing
disinfected or destroyed 79,415
Number of Public Library and other books
disinfected 8,990
Number of persons accommodated in the
isolation shelters
(b) for the destruction of vermin :
Number of rooms fumigated 962
Number of beds, mattresses, etc., cleansed
or destroyed 25,434
In addition 29 van-loads of furniture have been treated in the
cyanide gas chambers at the Disinfecting Station and 130 collections
were made of verminous and unwholesome articles for destruction.
Included among these collections were 15 collections of the unwanted
possessions of persons, usually aged and infirm, who had died or
been removed to hospital.
Disinfections of public air-raid shelters, wardens' posts, firewatchers'
quarters and premises occupied by Civil Defence
personnel numbered 192.
The cyanide gas chambers were in almost daily use throughout
the year and were invaluable in dealing with the bedding of the large
number of Civil Defence personnel billeted in the various depots in
the Borough. The chambers have also, on many occasions in recent
years, been used for the treatment of foodstuffs for destruction of
food pests at the instance of the Ministry of Food and the London
Fumigation Company. During 1943 approximately 88 tons of food
including cereals such as rice and beans, and chocolate, dried fruits,
etc., were treated.