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disinfector van where they are taken from them and stowed inside. The 
van is stationed at a railway siding. (4) Disinfection lasts 1 hour from 
the time the doors are shut and the steam is turned on, therefore during 
this time the men can wash, bathe, wait, or return to their tents or huts 
if adjacent, according to circumstances. (5) When the time is up the men 
return to receive their kits, the steam having been cut off and the doors 
of the van opened. At first the clothes are too hot to be touched but 
they soon cool sufficiently to be handled. (6) The bundles are now handed 
out to the men who undo them quickly and shake the contents for a 
minute or two in the air whilst warm, thereby drying them completely 
so that they can be worn 5 minutes after their removal from the van. 
(7) The men take their overcoats with identity discs attached to the van 
door, where they are received and placed loosely on the shelves. (8) The 
disinfection of the coats only takes 15 minutes and they are returned to 
the men. (9) The men return to camp with their kits and overcoats 
disinfected 2 hours from their arrival at the disinfecting station. 
Steam disinfestation of whole barracks. Blumberg (1915, p. 837) after 
stating that in dealing with 10,000 prisoners he found even large steam 
sterilizers (5 cbm. capacity) too small, and disinfecting vans (50 cbm.) 
being needed elsewhere in connection with the war, reports that he 
determined to turn steam from several large stationary engines directly 
into the barracks, leaving all the prisoners’ effects therein. The engines 
delivered steam at 6-7 atmospheres pressure, the temperature of the 
steam being 157-9-164° C. 
Trials were made in brick buildings having a capacity of 1200 to 2650 cbm. The 
rooms were first heated up to 32° C. by several large ovens, the windows being sealed 
and a layer of earth 5 cm. thick being placed on the roof (wood and felt) to lessen 
loss of heat. Iron tubing 290 m. long or more and of 58 mm. calibre was placed around 
the room at a distance of 25-45 cm. from the floor; the pipes were perforated with 
8000 small holes (3 mm.) from which the steam could escape. Electric and contact 
thermometers were placed in different parts of the room, and test-lice were variously 
distributed. Steam was allowed to enter for 6 hours, a temperature of 71-76° C. being 
maintained, after which the steam from the engines was cut off, the windows opened, 
etc. The clothing remained dry and all the lice were dead and brown or mummified. 
Blumberg subsequently found that he could simplify the process by 
omitting the preliminary dry heating and letting the steam enter directly 
into the barracks even when the outside temperature registered 0-12° C. 
The main steam pipe from the engine only penetrated a distance of 
10 cm. into the space. Powdered peat was used for sealing up cracks, 
and box-like wooden shutters were placed over the windows. Steam let 
