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51
Report for 1919, difficulties of administration were referred to
in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of the
Rag Flock Act.
Personal Cleansing Station.
During 1920, 4,213 children and 419 adults were cleansed
at the Council's Personal Cleansing Station, Sheepcote Lane.
Of the total children who attended 1,749 were suffering from
scabies, a contagious skin affection due to the animal parasite
known as the Acarus Scabies. The remaining 2,464 children
were verminous. These children attended from the public
elementary schools in the Borough by arrangement with the
London County Council as Education Authority, who have
entered into a contract with the Borough Council for the use
of their personal cleansing station for the cleansing of children
attending the Battersea public elementary schools. The
treatment and cleansing of the children is carried out under
the supervision of officers of the staff of the London County
Council's Public Health Department, while the disinfection
of the clothing and of the homes is dealt with by the Borough
Council's sanitary staff.
Plans and estimates for the erection of a new Personal
Cleansing Station were approved by the Council, but at the end
of the year the matter was still in abeyance. In view of the
inadequate and otherwise unsuitable character of the premises
in which this important and necessary hygienic work is at
present being carried out, it is earnestly to be hoped that the
Council will, at an early date, be in a position to provide
better accommodation.
At the request of the London County Council Education
Authority, the Council agreed to provide cleansing facilities
for 8,000 children per annum, an increase of 4,000 over the
number in the existing contract, a corresponding addition to
the contribution paid for this service being guaranteed by the
London County Council.
Disinfecting Department.
During 1920, 2,161 premises were disinfected by the
Council's Disinfecting Staff. A total of 1,640 cases of compulsorily
notifiable infectious diseases was dealt with during
the year. In addition to these, a large amount of disinfection
was carried out in connection with non-notifiable infectious
diseases, reported by school teachers and others. Verminous
rooms, bedding and articles of clothing, were also dealt with.