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8
During the year 845 rooms were sprayed for bed bugs and fleas.
People are still sending articles of clothing, etc., to relatives
living abroad, but as frontier restrictions lessen fewer countries are
requiring Certificates of Disinfection. Only five European countries
now require these Certificates. They are Russia, Poland, Bulgaria,
Czechoslovakia and East Germany. During the year 17 Certificates
were granted in respect of 351 articles and a nominal charge of 2/6
made in respect of each Certificate.
Once again mattresses lent by the proprietors of Olympia to
persons sleeping on the premises, particularly in connection with
the Dairy Show, were cleaned after the show. This year there was
a total of 307 mattresses.
There was an increase of 16% over the previous year's figure in
respect of the treatment for head and body lice. This was largely
due to head louse infestation of school children, but there was a
lower number of body lice treatment of persons of no fixed abode.
There were 37 verminous cleansings at the request of business
concerns and some of the younger ladies wished for a "check up"
before going for a permanent wave. It is probable that they had
previously been sent for treatment by their hairdresser.
In two cases use was made of Section 43 of the L.C.C. (General
Powers) Act, 1953, to enable two women to receive baths prior to
admission to a Home. In both instances the British Red Cross
supplied escorts. Neither of the ladies was in a verminous condition,
although one was extremely dirty with hair so matted that it had to
be cut and styled to suit its new length.
There was an increase in the number of treatments of 50%
over 1958. Compared with 48 definitely confirmed cases last year
there were 87 in 1959.
Various cleansings were carried out at the Baths during the
year in addition to those already referred to. These included two
Council employees who had become polluted by sewer sludge; a
vagrant who was arrested by the police, soaked to the skin after
having been out in a storm all night. (His clothes were dried whilst
he had a warm bath); a family who were referred by their doctor
after having spent a camping holiday, minute insects were seen in
the husband's underclothing but were not identified. One case of
Impetigo was dealt with, a young lady of 24 years who had just
found a room in Hammersmith after hitch-hiking from Manchester.
She was in a filthy state with many large impetiginous sores in a
very verminous head. She was treated once and never seen again.
There was also 34 treatments given for Psoriasis at the request
of Hammersmith Hospital.
Health Laundry.
Whilst enquiries regarding this service come from numerous
sources, they are also proving the worth of another Hammersmith