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34
The Cleansing and Disinfection of Verminous School Children.
As the result of correspondence with the Childrens' School Care
Committee and with the Medical Officer (for Education) of the London
County Council, it would appear to be desirable to grant facilities at the
Lots Road Disinfecting Station for the cleansing of school children and
the disinfection of their clothing, in cases of vermin of the body and
clothing (pediculus vestimenti); but it seems unnecessary to take such
steps in the case of children affected by head vermin only (pediculus
capitis), as these can be cured by appropriate measures to the heads of
the children, which can be applied by the mothers, under the direction
of the School Nurse.
In the event of cleansing and disinfection being required, I am of
opinion that the School Nurse should inform the Medical Officer of
Health of the child or children for which such measures are requisite,
and that the parents should be instructed to make application themselves,
to the Public Health Department, for the purpose in view.
The school authorities should have the power to refuse to receive
back into the school a child certified, by the School Nurse, to be affected
with body or clothes vermin, until the Medical officer of Health has
certified that the child has been cleansed and its clothing and bedding
disinfected to his satisfaction.
The Sale of Food and Drugs Act.
Duriug the year 1908, 403 samples were taken for analysis; of these
403 samples 198 were milk, 183 being returned by the Public Analyst
as genuine samples, and 15 as adulterated. Prosecutions were undertaken
in 4 cases with the following results :—6.1 per cent. of added
water—fined 10s. and 10s. 6d. costs; separated milk with 5 per cent. of
added water—fined 5s. and 10s. 6d. costs ; 2.8 per cent. of added water,
and 13.7 per cent. of fat abstracted—fined 10s. and 10s. 6d. costs; 9.0
per cent. of added water, and 36.7 per cent. of fat abstracted—fined £1
and 10s. 6d. costs.
In 6 cases of adulteration (added water 6.8 per cent., 6.0 per cent.,
7.0 per cent., 12.5 per cent., 7.0 per cent., and 11.9 per cent. respectively),
no proceedings were taken, because the vendors were protected by
warranties; and in the remaining 5 cases of adulteration (added water,
17 per cent., 1.1 per cent., 3.5 per cent., 5.3 per cent., and 2.8 per cent.
respectively), no proceedings were taken, the adulteration being slight.
The adulterated milks formed 7.6 per cent. of the total number of
samples analysed, as compared with 5.2 per cent. in 1907.
Of butter, 99 samples were taken, 98 being returned as genuine,
and one as adulterated. The adulterated sample was pure margarine,
but being sold with a " margarine " label on the wrapper, no proceedings
were taken. Of margarine, 7 samples were taken, all being genuine.
Of pepper, 18 samples were taken, 16 being genuine, and 2 of
inferior quality; of mustard, 18 samples, all genuine; of cheese, 18
samples, all genuine. Twenty-seven samples of coffee were analysed, 24
being genuine, and 3 adulterated (35 per cent., 60 per cent., and 62 per