London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Poplar 1915
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Metropolitan Borough]
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| Quarter. | Total number of Cleansings. | No. of First Cleansings. | No. of Second Cleansings. | Amount. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915. | £ | s. | d. | |||
| March | 343 | 207 | 136 | 20 | 14 | 0 |
| June | 382 | 217 | 165 | 21 | 14 | 0 |
| September | 290 | 161 | 129 | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| December | 606 | 290 | 316 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 1,621 | 875 | 746 | £87 | 10 | 0 |
From the 4th January, 1915, to the 1st January, 1916 (inclusive)
there were 1,267 cleansings belonging to the Borough (565 males and 702
females) and 370 cleansings outside the Borough (179 males and 191
females).
Miss Tattersall made 935 visits in connection with verminous
school children—271 Poplar, 325 Bromley, and 339 Bow.
Itch Cases.
Three boys and one girl with itch were bathed and their clothes
disinfected.
Miss Tattersall made 79 visits in connection with children suffering
from itch—29 Poplar, 26 Bromley, and 24 Bow.
CLEANSING OF PERSONS ACT, 1897.
The Council is empowered by the Cleansing of Persons Act, 1897,
to give any person applying, on the ground that he is infested, with
vermin free use of any apparatus for cleansing his person and clothing,
and may expend any reasonable sum on buildings, appliances and
attendants for this purpose. Provision was made in 1905 for cleansing
verminous persons.
During the year 211 persons (including 144 from Common Lodging
Hoases—see below) had applied for baths and for their clothes to be
disinfested. Since the notices were posted throughout the Borough, a
total of 5,689 persons, exclusive of non-residents, had apphed for baths,
etc., as mentioned above.