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It is not often that I have the opportunity to write of Malaria so I
quote from a letter received by a local newspaper 100 years ago
"I wish to enlist your assistance in drawing the attention of the
parishioners to the necessity of agitating the all important question
of adopting means for the removal of the several existing sources of
malaria and its concomitant evils prior to the mid summer heats con
verting them into verulent fever stills
I feel assured unless you arouse the too lukewarm inhabitants
and awaken the all-but slumbering Board we will have the return of
some ravaging epidemic.
Many offensive postiferous ditches and stagnant pools in the
closely built over and densely populated districts should be cleaned
and covered."
Medicinal Baths.
The Medicinal Baths in Scotts Road Shepherds Bush provide for the
treatment of scabies impetigo and various verminous conditions
The reconstruction work at Lime Grove Baths which had interrupted
steam and hot water supplies for the greater part of i956 was still in
progress in the early part of 1957 and the emergency measures referred to
in my last Report were still kept in operation.
Steam was first restored on 20th February but it was soon realised
that the pipes running via an underground duct were faulty and it was decided
to renew all pipework immediately. The old pipes when dug up were
found to be rusted through. The pipes bringing both hot and cold water
were ready by 4th March and the steam circuit by 15th March on which date
the Extension to the Medicinal Baths was reopened having been closed for
twelve months.
In July all the staff of the Disinfecting Station were vaccinated as
a precaution against Smallpox.
It is perhaps unfair to compare the number of verminous cleansings
for 1957 with those of the previous year As the station was closed for
most of 1956 many school children who visit regularly in normal times did
not bother to go the extra distance to the Kensington Cleansing Station.
Since 1951 efforts have encouraged more mothers to have cleansings
at the same time as their children This was hoped to keep reinfestations
to a minimum. However since 1954 an increasing number of mothers are at
work and do not as a result, accompany the children for treatment In
1950 for every female adult shampooed 26,79 children received the same
treatment, By 1954 this ratio was reduced to 7 67 This gap increased to
11 to 1 in 1957 with reinfestation increased by just over one third in
school children.
568 cleansings took place during this year and seven families were
responsible for 22% of these with one family alone responsible for over
25% of the cleansings of children under five.
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