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disposition to disinfection than any other part of a building. Bamboo is known to harbour
vermin more than any other material, and occupants have learnt from experience that unless
bamboos receive a periodical application of fresh mud or cow-dung, they would expect an
escape of their little prisoners. Lime is now more commonly used.
There seems to be only one remedy and that is limewashing or the native method
which has been found by experience to prove the best. If either of these methods do not
suit, I would suggest a complete demolition of partitions, which have bamboo in their con-
struction, and a substitution of brick or koba or cement. Planks of wood are easily cleaned
and proved satisfactory. As I have already remarked, koba, cement or chunam are by far
the best for flooring and partitions. It may here be stated, that all these substances get
often coated with a thin layer of cow-dung, but they do not present the same difficulty in
cleaning, nor act disadvantageously in being as liable to infection as cowdunged earth.
Dr. Nerurker, Mazagaon district, has given me a list of thirteen houses which had been
disinfected throughout within 12 hours and in which no re-infection had occurred upto date.
In nine of these houses, the floors and walls are of chunam and brick, one of wood and brick, and
3 of cow-dung, wood and bamboo. It is a common experience in this Ward to find the solution
swept out immediately after the withdrawal of the disinfecting gangs. I "would therefore
suggest that power be given to district officers to make it impossible for a room to be
occupied for at least 2 hours after disinfection has been completed. All floors should be
thoroughly scraped, so as to bring every available part into close relation with the solution.
I have noticed the solution lying in small puddles, while elevated portions of the
floor are comparatively dry. A small wooden rake or hoe would be a useful adjunct to the
disinfecting paraphernalia. Very often it is inadvisable to scrape mud of wooden floors, as
in many old houses, the solution is apt to trickle through large cracks to the rooms
beneath.
As soon as all furniture, &c, was removed from a room, Perchloride solution was
generally applied to all parts. We had however, to keep within orders of Government and
did not disinfect higher than what an ordinary man could reach. In a few instances, this
rule was not adhered to where a loft imperfectly divides a room into an upper and lower
space, the room was disinfected throughout.
Phenyle was used when corrugated iron formed any portion of the room, as the iron
by its precipitating the mercury in the solution, rendered the solution inert. Brushes
were of great service, they had the disadvantage of readily getting clogged up with mud.
The pump was of service in reaching inaccessible parts ; they were constantly in need of
repair, owing to the metal being corroded by the solution. Eat holes were filled with
pitch.
Dr. O'Brien makes the following remarks on his experiences in the
supervision of the disinfection work in À Ward, B Ward, North, and B
Ward, South :—
As regards the actual disinfection of rooms, I should like to draw attention to the
utmost importance of thoroughly clearing out and disinfecting the lofts which are to be
found in so many of the rooms in this city. They usually contain heaps of rubbish ; dead
rats are often found in them, and altogether they are the places most likely to contain
infective material. I find that in many rooms, the Avails and floors are covered with a
coating of cowdung which has become quite hard, which cannot be removed by our brushes,
and which is almost impermeable to the Perchloride solution. When this is the case, the room
can scarcely be thoroughly disinfected without removing the cow-dung coating. I should
advise that some iron scrapers be used for this purpose—an iron spoon, or an old knife, if
large enough will do very well.
As regards the disinfection of earthen floors he continues :—
I should advise that the solution used for disinfecting earthen floors should be double
strength (i.e., 1 in 380) or even stronger. The report of the Plague Commission states