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with clean second-hand clothing and was most thankful. The other
was a female of 55. She had head and body lice ++. Before leaving
her home she was very indignant and refused to allow her bedding
to be removed for stoving. The bedding was sprayed with the rest
of the contents of the room. At the Baths she allowed her hair
to be cut as it was too matted to be combed. The comfort of the
bath gradually changed her attitude from aggressive to passive.
After treatment she spent about half an hour combing her hair
to the required position, then departed quite happy.
The total number of Scabies treatments for the year was 518;
this is a higher figure than for the past two years, but out of the
110 first treatments given, only 48 were confirmed as suffering.
Sixty-two persons were treated as contacts or questionable cases.
Sixty-seven families were involved in the 110 first treatments.
There were also 12 reinfections.
Despite the above figures, it is pleasing to note that the number
of confirmed cases is lower than it has ever been. Many more
doctors are sending patients to the Baths as? Scabies, and this is
perhaps due to the fact that more people are taking their spots
and pimples to the doctors for treatment.
During the year cases were treated from 10 other Councils,
including the London County Council, and since 1955, 15 Boroughs
or Urban District Councils within London, Middlesex and Surrey
have been assisted, namely, Acton, Barnes, Brentford and Chiswick,
Ealing, Feltham, Fulham, Hayes and Harlington, Heston and
Isleworth, Kensington, Richmond, Southall, Staines, Sunbury,
Wandsworth and West Drayton and Yiewsley.
There were very few calls from other Authorities for steam
sterilisation during the year, assistance only being required by
London County Council, Barnes, Heston and Isleworth and Richmond.
The assistance given to Barnes included the drying of
bedding, etc., after flooding in the early part of the year.
On 94 occasions the West London Hospital made use of the
service for sterilisation purposes for a total of 604 articles.
Articles of clothing and materials are still being sent abroad
to relatives by persons living in the Borough and although more
countries are now allowing freedom of import, it is still necessary
to grant Certificates in certain instances. Twenty-six certificates
were issued in connection with the following countries: Poland 13,
Russia 8. Bulgaria 3 and Czechoslovakia 2.
Two hundred and fifty-three mattresses were sterilised for
Olympia Ltd. after use during the Dairy Show and other exhibitions.
Another service carried out was drying bedding and linen
after damage by burst pipes or flooding.
A male and female, aged about 50, were brought to the
Baths by the police; they were charged with stealing and were
both in need of cleansing. On examination both were found to be
filthy and verminous. They had been wandering in company for
many months. The female's feet were exuding pus at the base of