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70
Cleansing of Verminous Persons at the Council's Stations.
The Public Health Committee considered a letter from the London
County Council in which they desired to know whether Mondays, Wednesdays,
and Fridays would be convenient days for verminous children
from the Schools to attend at the Southwark Cleansing Station, within
certain hours, viz.: from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and 2 to 4 p.m,, and to
accept from the London County Council a capitation payment of 2s.
The London County Council also desired to know whether the female
children would be properly supervised by a female attendant, also
whether there was a separate entrance to the Station, and its position
such as to prevent the contraction of infectious illness.
The Public Health Committee replied that the capitation grant of
2s. would be accepted, and that 30 children, under proper supervision
each day could be cleansed on the three days named in the week, and
that the entrance to the cleansing station was far enough away from the
Reception House as to remove any possibility of infection from "contacts
" from time to time housed there.
There was also a further letter from the London County Council asking
whether verminous persons from Common Lodging Houses in the Borough
could be cleansed at the Cleansing Station, and in the event of other
boroughs not having the accommodation could any lodging house inmate
belonging to another borough be cleansed at the Southwark Station ?
The Public Health Committee replied that they were quite able and
willing to cleanse all verminous persons in the Borough, but could not
engage to cleanse persons occupying lodging houses outside.
Up to the present time no demand for payment has been made by
this Council, although from time to time various sums have been mentioned
which would cover the cost of the work. The Act places the
responsibility for cleansing children on the London County Council, but
the Medical Officer of Health was strongly of opinion that whether paid
for by the London County Council or not, this work should be done by
the Borough Council, as it gives the Borough Council an opportunity of
cleansing and disinfecting the rooms at the time the children are attended
to. When attempts have been made by the London County Council to
cleanse the children at temporary stations near the schools this simultaneous
and efficient cleansing and disinfection of the home and bedding
was found impossible.
It has been suggested that the cleansing of verminous children and
rooms should be a charge on the Borough similar to that when infectious
disease occurs, and the more this opinion is considered the more it
seems a common-sense way of dealing with the subject, although it
would be a very heavy charge upon the poorer districts.