View report page

221
Cleansing of Verminous Persons.—By the Cleansing
of Persons Act, 1897, 60 and 61 Vic., Cap. 31, power is given
to any local Authority which means the Council of any County
Borough, the District Council of any district, any Board of
Guardians, and in the County of London any Sanitary Authority
as defined by the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, from and
after the passing of the Act, when in their discretion they shall see
fit to permit any person who shall apply to the said Authority, on
the ground that he is infected with vermin, to have the use, free
of charge, of any apparatus the Authority may possess for the
person and his clothing from vermin. The use of such apparatus
is not to be considered as parochial or charitable relief, either to
the person applying or his friend or relatives.
Local Authorities may expend on the provision of buildings,
appliances and attendants, such sums as may be reasonably
necessary for the carrying out of the provisions of the Act.
The late Vestries of Clerkenwell and St. Luke never made
any arrangements for the purpose of cleansing persons and
clothing, but the Holborn Board of Guardians instructed the
master of City Road Workhouse to give facilities to enable any
and every applicant under the Act to be clcansed. Since that
time there have been about a half-dozen persons who have
applied for this purpose. Such persons have a warm bath and
their clothing is disinfected, unless in such bad condition as to
warrant its destruction, in which case fresh clothing is supplied
in its stead.