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130
Evidence derived from the Purchase and Examination of
Second-hand Clothing.
3. I have not been able to pursue this line of enquiry so far
and so thoroughly as I should have desired. I should have liked
to obtain not only evidence of the fact that second-hand clothes,
when exposed for sale, were actually verminous, but also to obtain
a fair idea of the proportion of such verminous articles amongst
second-hand clothing. This latter I have not been able to ascertain,
as it would take a considerable time and involve a great expense,
and, really at this stage it is not necessary.
I have, however, had several parcels of second-hand clothing
purchased from the following vendors:—
(1) Second-hand clothing shops ;
(2) Costers' stalls ;
(3) Ragshops.
One parcel of clothes bought contained 13 articles. Out of
this number only ona article was found to be infected with " nits "
of lice. In a second lot of clothing consisting of 10 articles, obtained
from second-hand dealers, I found two articles infested with
" nits," but no fully developed lice. These samples alone show
conclusively and supports the other evidence advanced, that second,
hand clothes are responsible for maintaining to a certain extent
the verminous condition of the children attending Elementary
Schools in the Borough. I may here add that when examining
these second-hand garments I noticed that a large proportion of
them were in a very dirty and filthy condition.
Sources of Second-hand Clothing.
There are many places in the Borough where second-hand
garments are sold. They vary very much as to the quality of the
articles, i.e.—as to their cleanliness. The following is a list of these
places:—