A certain number of local authorities adopted this method to the great advantage of the community, and though there is still much to be done in this direction, the change, so far as it has gone, has undoubtedly minimised a great evil. Both numerous and various are the measures which have to be taken for the protection of the public from disease. One of the most essential of these was disinfection--the disinfection of rooms where there had been infectious or contagious disease, and the disinfection or destruction of clothing or articles used by the person suffering from the disease. The process of disinfection originally was of the most primitive character and doubtful efficacy, but the progress of science had elaborated really effective methods. In 1866 the local authorities had been given power to provide a proper place with all necessary apparatus, &c., for the disinfection of infected clothing, &c., free of charge, and to give compensation for articles destroyed. Thus every inducement was given to the public to get infected articles disinfected. But many years were to pass before provision by the Vestries was extensively made. By the Public Health London Act, 1891, this provision was made imperative on the local authorities. Disinfection by steam was considered practically the only efficient system. By 1895 twenty-four sanitary authorities had provided themselves with this apparatus, six with an apparatus whereby disinfection was effected by dry heat, and eight had arranged with a contractor. When it is a fact that a few infected rags could let loose disease of the worst type upon a community, the advantages to the public of the general practice of disinfection were incalculable. And in London the advantages were specially great. In almost every district hundreds of houses were disinfected every year, and thousands--even tens of thousands--of articles. The system of the compulsory notification of infectious diseases facilitated greatly the work of disinfection, for by informing the authorities where cases of such disease occurred it enabled them to scotch disease in its breeding-places, and so it was of the greatest benefit to the community. How great may be gathered from the following figures. The number of cases of Infectious Diseases in London notified under the Act of 1889 were:-- 29,795 in 1890 46,074 " 1892 67,485 " 1893 49,699 " 1896 42,344 " 1899 Of those in 1893:-- 36,901 were cases of Scarlet Fever 3,633 " " Enteric " 22 " " Typhus 13,026 " " Diphtheria 2,813 " " Smallpox Great work was being done in the prevention of the spread of infectious disease in London by the Metropolitan Asylums Board, in whose hospitals thousands of persons suffering from such disease were isolated. Dr. G. Buchanan, Chief Medical Officer to the Local Government Board, wrote in 1892:--