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124
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH ON THE
CLEANSING OF CHILDREN ATTENDING THE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS IN THE BOROUGH OF HACKNEY.
Public Health Department.
Town Hall, Hackney, N.E.
To the Chairman and Members 21s/ October, 1914.
of the Public Health Committee.
Gentlemen,
In September, 1911, the Hackney Borough Council began,
under an agreement with the London County Council, the systematic
cleansing of verminous children attending the Public Elementary
Schools of the Borough, the chief form of vermin being head and
body lice. The cleansing has continued up to the present time.
In conjunction with this body cleansing, the staff of the Public
Health Department have been engaged in the cleansing of rooms,
clothing and bedding in connection with these children. I propose
here to make a report as to the amount of cleansing which has been
done by the Borough Council during the two and half years ending
31st March, 1914, the general results obtained, and to make a few
observations on the continued prevalence of this form of uncleanliness.
During the period in question 1,965 children have been cleansed
at the Borough Cleansing Station, a large proportion of these being
cleansed only once; but many others twice, thrice and oftener.