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Decontamination of Food. Fortunately the need for the
utilisation of this service has not yet arisen. The Food
Treatment Centre at Kennington Oval is equipped and ready
for action and in accordance with a suggestion of the
Ministry of Food an application was made to the National
Service Officer for a number of persons to be directed into
the Food Treatment Service in a part-time capacity in order
to augment the number of volunteers already available.
About 50 people (men and women) were so directed and training
commenced oarly in 1943.
SCABIES AND VERMINOUS PERSONS.
The incidence of scabies has materially increased
during 1942 but the arrangements made many years ago with
the adjoining councils of Battersea and Southwark have
coped satisfactorily with the increased numbers. A total
of 1,467 persons were treated at the cleansing stations and
given 3,698 baths compared with 709 persons treated in 1941.
A special hair oil containing 50$ of Lethane
was issued to all welfare centres in bottles of one ounce
sufficient to treat a family of six persons for head-lice.
The issue was made free to all applicants and a letter was
delivered to all the hairdressers in tho district asking
their co-operation in directing all their customers found
to be in need of help to their local v/elfare centre. This
assistance was readily forthcoming and coupled with advice
from health visitors and others it has led to 490 bottles
being distributed in the first nine months.
PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES.
t
A measles epidemic began towards the end of the
latter half of the year, rather oarly for the ordinary
biennial epidemic#and continued until May, 1943. Scarlet
fever was more in evidence but maintained its mild character.
Notifications for diphtheria were slightly higher than the
previous year but no child who had completed tho immunisation
course not less than twelve weeks contracted the disease.
The incidence of other infectious diseases has been
low and the diseases themselves mild in character. These
exhibitions arc puzzling when environmental conditions
generally favoured epidemics. Testimony from all welfare
centres points to children under five being in better health
and condition than ever before evidonce that tho nutrition
standard has been improved and is better than it was before
tho Ministry of Food rationed foods in favour of those who
need them most.

7.