Report on the sanitation of Port Louis / by Andrew Balfour.

  • Andrew Balfour
Date:
[1921]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the sanitation of Port Louis / by Andrew Balfour. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Advantages of Liquid Chlorine. The advantages of the liquid chlorine over hypochlorite of lime, or “ bleach” are:— | 1. Liquid chlorine is the pure concentrated germicidal agent which can be stored indefinitely without deterioration, while the by Route has unly 3 55 per cent. available chlorine, and deteriorates rapidly on exposure. 2, Liquid chlorine occupies very much less space and can be more conveniently handled than coches of lime. 3. Liquid chlorine reduces the labour costs of sterilisation to a minimum, Two cylinders of liquid chlorine when connected to a ‘ Chloronome” may continue to a One a total of 60,000,000 gallons of water of average impurity without further attention while the hypochlorite has to be pasted, made into solutions of standar d strength, titrated once or twice daily and drawn off through regulating devices. 5. No sludge residue results when applying liquid chlorine. Sometimes the disposal of the sludge, resulting from hypochlorite treatment, is a troublesome matter. 6. A much greater precision of the dose of chlorine is possible with the ‘‘ Chloronome ”’ than with any other form of apparatus. The administration of a precise volume of germicidal agent of known uniform strength es eliminates the possibility of accidental overdose. The initial capital outlay and the continuous labour costs are much less with the “Chloronome”’ than with hypochlorite plant. From every point of view, the substitution of liquid chlorine plant for hy pochlorite of lime, or bleach, effects a fed economy in initial capital outlay, labour and continuous running costs, and greatly improves the working conditions and results obtained. “ Uhloronomes” are in successful operation in this country for capacities ranging from 90,000 to 40,000,000 gallons per day, including those for the Metropolitan Water Board and other important authorities, APPENDIX Ill. SCHOOL ABSIENCES In the course of school inspections in Port Louis I found that a large number of children was absent owing to illness. Accordingly a request was made for a return showing, for the period of one year, the average monthly attendances both at Government and Aided Schools. This was'duly ep ahead and is here prod uced. It shows, on the whole, a very unsatisfactory state of things though it should be noted that sickness is not always ‘the cause of absence. I understand that poverty plays a part—while, at certain periods of the year, parents send their children out to work. Still there can be no doubt that illness, in most cases, preventible illness, has much to do with these frequent absences, and that it interferes greatly with the development and education of children in Port Louis. At a moderate computation it must cause from 15 to 20 per cent. of absences.
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