London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St Pancras 1916
Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1916
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These figures include 2030 blankets, 446 rugs, 14 bolsters, and 1090
articles of wearing apparel which were disinfected on account of verminousness
for the militarjr authorities, or for voluntary bodies (such as the Y.M.C.A.)
who provide accommodation for soldiers.
The following table shows the number of persons cleansed and disinfected after having been in contact with infectious disease:—
| MALES. | FEMALES | Children under 10. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Fever | 4 | 2 | — |
| Puerperal Fever | — | 9 | — |
| Measles | 3 | — | — |
| German Measles | 1 | — | — |
Cleansing Station.
At each attendance the person receives a bath, and his or her clothes are stoved.
| Men. | Women. | Children under 15. | Total. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Pancras Cases | Vermin | 283 | 11 | 1808 | *2102 |
| Scabies | 26 | 22 | 1009 | *1057 | |
| Cases from outside St. Pancras | Vermin | 51 | — | 651 | 702 |
| Scabies | 2 | 5 | 409 | 416 | |
| Total | 334 | 11 | 2459 | 2804 | |
| 28 | 27 | 1418 | 1473 | ||
| 362 | 38 | 3877 | 4277 | ||
*Includes 132 males and 2 females who had no home address.
The school children included in the above table have in the main been brought
to the cleansing station from the Public Elementary Schools by officials of the
London County Council as the Education Authority under the powers conferred
upon them by their General Powers Act, 1904, Sec. 36, and the
Children Act, 1908, Sec. 122. A sum of two shillings for one month's
course of cleansings for every child is paid by the County Council to the
Borough Council, according to an agreement between the two Authorities.
During the year the children for whom a month's treatment was paid for by
the London County Council numbered 1,696.
The health-visitor, Miss Smith, has devoted part of her time to visiting the
homes of these verminous children, and helping the families to rid themselves
of their verminous conditions. For this purpose the bedding and bedfellows
in the household have been cleansed in many instances. The visits paid for
this purpose have numbered 60, but the female staff is quite inadequate to
deal with this problem effectively.