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45
Laboratory.
A laboratory is provided by the Council at the Isolation
Hospital. Pathological outfits are supplied to medical practitioners
and specimens from their patients residing in the District
are examined free of charge. The bacteriological examination of
specimens from patients in the Hospital is also undertaken in the
laboratory.
Examinations undertaken during the year were as follows: —
For the detection of tubercle bacilli 159
For the detection of diphtheria bacilli 293
Total 452
Disinfection.
Disinfection is carried out by the staff of the Health Department.
For the disinfection of rooms vacated by persons suffering
from infectious disease formaldehyde vapour is used. Infected
bedding and clothing is removed for steam disinfection at the
Disinfecting Station attached to the Isolation Hospital.
The number of rooms disinfected after infectious disease
during 1926 was 206, and 202 lots of bedding and clothing were
steam-disinfected.
Cleansing and Disinfestation of Verminous Persons.
The Council have provided a Cleansing Station situated at
the Council's Depot for the disinfestation of verminous persons
and their belongings.
In 1921 arrangements were completed whereby the Council's
Cleansing Station was made available for the purpose of cleansing
children attending the Public Elementary Schools who, on account
of their persistently verminous condition, were removed there from
the Schools under powers conferred by Section 122 of the Children
Act, 1908. In addition the Cleansing Station has been made use
of for the treatment of children and adults affected with scabies.
The use of the cleansing station for dealing with persistently
verminous children has had very satisfactory results, and1 the
improvement in the cleanliness of children in the schools has been
pronounced1.
During 1926 4 children only were treated at the Cleaning
Station for verminous condition of the head; attendances for the
treatment of scabies numbered 14.