View report page

107
5. By contact of the child's clothing with verminous clothing in a
pawnshop.
Amongst the children cleansed it may be taken for granted that
about 80 per cent, of the parents either make use of pawnshops, the
contents of which are not subject to any form of disinfection, or buy
second-hand clothing either from second-hand clothing shops, stalls or
ragshops. In none of these cases are the clothes disinfected before
being sold.
We have the causes of re-infection of verminous children before us.
We can deal and are dealing with the home, the bedding, and the
clothing, actually present in the home at the time of inspection, but as
regards the other causes more powers are required.
Those in the home under school age should be examined by the
school nurse when there is repeated infection amongst scholars coming
from that home. Those over school age should be subjected to a
medical examination if there is the same repeated infection.
As regards clothing in pawnbrokers' shops and the sale of secondhand
clothing, it seems to me that legislation might easily help us in the
matter by prohibiting the sale or storing of verminous or filthy clothing.