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 1917

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Metropolitan Borough]

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Table: The Public Health and Housing Committee had no objection to a make to the proposal, and recommended the Council that the Agreement with the London County Council for cleansing verminous children be revised as proposed. The Agreement commenced 1st January, 1917.

The Public Health and Housing Committee had no objection to a make to the proposal, and recommended the Council that the Agreement with the London County Council for cleansing verminous children be revised as proposed. The Agreement commenced 1st January, 1917.

Quarter.Total number of Cleansings.Amount.
1917.£s.d.
March1,11455140
June1,21360130
September1,2???76070
December1,2276170
Totals4,761£23810

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4,238 children (2,063 boys and 2,175 girls) belonging to the Borough
and 645 children (401 boys and 244 girls) outside the Borough were
bathed and their clothes disinfested.
Miss Tattersall made 155 visits in connection with verminous
(not itch) school children—52 Poplar, 78 Bromley, and 25 Bow.
Itch Cases.
The itch cases are included in the verminous cases.
Miss Tattersall made 416 visits in connection with children suffering
from itch—128 Poplar, 184 Bromley, and 104 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 185 persons (159 men and 26 women) (including
107 from Common Lodging Houses—see below) had applied for baths
and for their clothes to be disinfested. Since the notices were posted
throughout the Borough, a total of 5,989 persons, exclusive of nonresidents,
had applied for baths, etc., as mentioned above.