Fumigator

The Disinfection Block was built to replace and update an older facility named the “Disinfecting House” that was situated near the Kitchen and Dining Block. All luggage and clothing was fumigated in an ‘autoclave’, or fumigation chamber.

The luggage was placed on a wooden trolley that ran along the tram tracks, and taken through the autoclave. The fumigation processed involved closing both doors and creating a vacuum to seal the doors. Each door weighs one tonne, and took approximately 150 full turns of a heavy wheel for each door to be fully closed. The objects to be fumigated were exposed to 10 pounds pressure atmosphere, then (depending on the article) they were either steamed (for smallpox), or subjected to a mixture of sodium cyanide (for bugs), methyl bromide (for poppy seeds) or formalin (for foot and mouth disease). The vacuum was then released and the steam or gasses were vented through a pipe system at the back of the building.

The fumigator or ‘autoclave’ is still located inside the disinfection block.