175
Disinfection
of Wards.
6. Disinfection.—Regularly three times in 24 hours, the floor of each ward
is sprinkled over with phenyle and swept by the ward mehtars, and every morning
powdered lime is spread over the floor through fine seives. The walls and floors
of the wards and outhouses are lime-washed as often as necessary, quick lime being
used for the purpose.
Of dejecta.
Discharges from patients soiling the floors are disinfected with phenyle, swept
up, removed, and the spot lime-washed.
Of dressings.
The dressings are all burnt in the incinerator.
Of soiled
clothing.
All soiled clothing is carried from the ward, and put directly into a large
tub containing a solution of phenyle. Twice daily it is taken out of the disinfecting
solution and washed by the mehtars. It is then sent to the disinfector for final
sterilization.
Modikhana
Sterilizer.
This hospital has the advantage of the close proximity of the Modikhana
sterilizer. Every moruiug all the changed or soiled clothes from the wards, such
as jackets, sheets, blankets, kumblies, &c., are sent to the disinfector for sterilization.
It is an "Equifex" steam disinfector stove of Geniste Herscher patent, and consists of a
vertical boiler of 8 h. p. and a sterilizing chamber. The latter is made of steel, cover-
ed over on the outside with wooden planking, and having along its internal surface a
coil of tubes. The sterilising chamber is provided with doors for opening from either
end, and inside it is a wire cradle for holding the articles to be sterilized, and arranged
to move out and in on rails at both ends.
All the clothing to be disinfected, is put into this cradle, special care being
taken in the case of mattresses, &c., to have space between them by means of pillows
or other suitable articles so as to allow the steam to penetrate into every corner.
The doors are then securely fastened.
Mode
of working.
The steam generated in the boiler is then introduced into the chamber, the
air contained in it being allowed to escape. When the thermometer indicates a
temperature of 180°, the air valve is shut off, and the pressure of the steam in the
chamber is allowed to rise until the gauge indicates a pressure of 10 lbs. After the
end of five minutes, the compressed steam is let off. This causes a partial vacuum
.in the chamber, so that when the fresh supply of steam is introduced, it is able to
penetrate into the articles more thoroughly.
This process is repeated three times. The steam is then finally allowed to
escape. If the articles are removed at this stage, they will be found to be thoroughly
sterilized, but will be very wet owing to a certain amount of condensation of steam
into water.
To dry the articles, steam is let into the coil of tubes along the inner aspect
of the sides of the chamber, the water in which is, in consequence, evaporated to
dryness in about 10 minutes. The articles will then be found to be thoroughly dry.
The whole operation of sterilization takes about half an hour.
The clothing, after it has been thus sterilized, is handed over to the hospital
dhobies for washing.
Mortuary.
7. The Mortuary is not a pucca structure, but only a shed 20' X 10' of
matting and jowlies with perforated tin sheeting running along the lower portion of
the sides, and serving the double purpose of ventilation as well as protection of
corpses from the attacks of rats. It is also ventilated from above by an open
space between the sides and the roof. The floor is kutcha.