990 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION H. 
For provision against accumulations of dust, he recommended 
that any presses should have sloping tops of galvanized iron 
clearly visible ; that mouldings and projections should be as few as 
possible ; and that the meeting rails of windows and the tcps of 
doors and screens, &c., should receive special attention. 
He considered steam power an essential now-a-days in every 
hospital, not only for cooking and hot-water supply, but also to 
save laundry labour and to provide immediate means of disinfec- 
tion. 
Upon the subject of the most suitable disinfecting apparatus, 
he alluded to the claims of the Washington Lyon Super-heated 
Steam Disinfector ; to the Equifex Steam Disinfector (Geneste- 
Herscher patent), made by Defries and Sons, of London ; and to 
Dr. Treschs’ machine—and would be glad of opinions from those 
who have had experience of any of the above. The consensus of 
English M.0.H.’s opinions seemed at present-to be in favour of 
the Equifex. 
Since reading his paper at the 1893 meeting, he had arrived at 
an improvement in the heating of operating tables, by introducing 
heat in the centre of the table under the loins and back of the 
patient. 
The subject of operating theatres was too large for this paper, 
but he would recommend a paper by Dr. Smyly, of Dublin, in 
the British Medical Journal, of July 10th, 1897. Hospital con- ' 
struction must, under this head, keep pace with the surgeons, who 
were moving very rapidly. 
With a view to rendering wards as far as possible fly-proof, 
doors, windows, fireplaces, and other vents should be provided 
with brass or galvanized wire fly-proof mesh screens, the cost of 
which would be well repaid by the result, and these should be kept 
scrupulously clean and brushed over with turpentine periodically. 
All post-mortem houses especially should be fly-proof. 
The subject of isolation hospitals was.one that should not 
longer be delayed in Australasia, and he considered that officers 
responsible for hospital construction in the various colonies 
should make a point of pressing this subject upon the various 
Governments. 
For small, detached isolation wards, where economy had to be 
studied, galvanized-iron, sun-proofed on both sides with a lime- 
wash mixed with boiling water and fastened with sugar, salt, and 
raw linseed oil, would be found an excellent sheathing, and by 
lining the interior and ceilings with small fluted 28-gauge iron, 
coated similarly on the outer side and painted with zine on inside 
and varnished, one would have a very cheap, serviceable, and 
sanitary structure. Fly-proof screens to openings would be an 
essential, and also broad verandahs. 
