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9
Disinfection.
The following is a record of the work carried out by the Disinfecting
Staff during 1942 :—
Number of houses or parts of houses and contents
disinfected 864
„ verminous rooms disinfected 255
„ „ articles of clothing disinfested* 34
„ „ beds disinfested 323
*Excluding the clothing of persons dealt with at the Bathing Station.
Cleansing and Disinfection of Verminous Persons and their
Belongings.
The following cleansings and medicinal baths were carried out at
the Bathing Station, which forms part of the Public Health Station,
during the year :—
Verminous conditions.
Adults 44
Children 38
Scabies.
Adults 164
Children 95
During the year, 255 verminous rooms in 229 houses and 323 sets
of beds and bedding were cleansed and freed from vermin.
Scabies.
Concern has been expressed by the Ministry of Health at the rising
incidence of scabies which has resulted from wartime conditions such
as overcrowding, the conditions of sleeping in air-raid shelters and the
communal use of bedding, towels, etc. The disease and such consequences
of it as loss of sleep lead to a loss of efficiency detrimental to
the war effort.
Scabies is essentially a household disease and ascertainment of a
particular case, whether through the school medical service or in any
other way, indicates the possibility of scabies in the household. It is,
therefore, essential that all contacts with a known case of scabies—
including members of the same family or household and children of
other families who are playmates with an infected child—should be
followed up and, if necessary, treated.
The Scabies Order, 1941, was designed to assist Local Authorities
to ascertain and treat cases of scabies and the powers of the Order
extend to verminous conditions generally, since they may lead to
similar results. Upon information being given by a medical practitioner
or otherwise that a person is in a verminous condition, the Order provides
for the inspection of premises, the medical examination of
persons, the treatment of verminous persons and the cleansing,