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45
The Cleansing Station is situated in a small cottage devoted
entirely to this purpose. The cottage is away from all public thoroughfares,
but a small railway footpath runs past the door. It consists of
three rooms, two downstairs and one upstairs, with a lavatory on each
floor. It was originally built as an Isolation Station.
During 1923, 1352 disinfections of houses or parts of houses were
carried out together with their contents, while in addition all infested
articles of clothing, etc , were suitably dealt with.
Twenty-three cleansings of adults and 1017 cleansings of
children were carried out by the Council's Attendant, and whilst this
was in progress their clothes were thoroughly disinfected by being
passed through the disinfecting apparatus.
During the latter part of the year a special effort was made by the
Public Health Department to render more effective the work of
cleansing undertaken at the Borough Council's Cleansing Station.
All families, where any of the children had been cleansed more
than five times in the current year, were specially written to; and these
letters advising and urging all the members of the family who might
be infected (including the parents and children not of school age) to
attend at the Cleansing Station were followed up by visits from the
Health Visitors. The facilities of the Disinfecting Station were placed
at the disposal of those families who were willing to undergo a thorough
cleansing, the intention ibeing that all personal clothing, bedding, &c.,
should be disinfected at the same time as the cleansing, thus enabling
the families to make a clean fresh start.
During the few months in 1923 in which this experiment was
tried, 45 families who came within the orbit of this arrangement were
approached with a view to special endeavours being made to eradicate
verminous conditions. In 21 cases a definite refusal was made, in someinstances
a denial being made of the conditions complained of.
It does not necessarily follow that those who refuse to come for
treatment are the only offenders against a reasonable standard of cleanliness,for
some of those who readily come to the Cleansing Station when
requested, attend a far greater number of times than those who raise
objections. Still,it is hoped by steady persuasion and propaganda