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Children,—1,068 baths were given to children suffering from vermin,
including 10 who had scabies. Under an arrangement with the County
Council for the cleansing of school children, 351 were sent from various
boroughs. It is essential that at the same time as the children are treated
at the station, their bedding should also be stoved, so as to destroy any
vermin in it, and for this purpose the homes of those resident in
Westminster were visited. It happens in a proportion of the cases that
other members of a family than those at school age are affected, and
parents are persuaded to allow them to be treated, otherwise re-infection
is almost certain to occur. Five mothers were treated in 1914, and
17 children under school age.
Borough.
No. of Children.
1st Attendances.
Total No. of Attendances
of old and new
cases.
Articles of Clothing
Disinfected or Washed,
Westminster 75 170 1,983*
Chelsea 62 178 1,502
Lambeth 84 236 1,929
Battersea 139 471 3,983
Wandsworth 7 10—
Bermondsey13—
368 1,068 9,397
* Included 653 articles of bedding.
A considerable amount of additional work was thrown upon the
Department by the War, through the influx of troops and refugees.
Disinfection was carried out for various reasons of 5,276 articles, the
destruction of 1,331 and cleansing of 194. These included blankets,
horse rugs, clothing, bedding, &c. Quantities of old clothing for refugees
and rooms where it was stored were fumigated (rooms, 342 times in all,
3,094 articles fumigated, 1,331 destroyed, and 184 washed). Tins of
dressings were removed daily from private hospitals for officers.
Verminous Houses.—In addition to the school cases, 257 notices
were served by the Sanitary Inspectors with reference to vermin in
houses; 343 rooms were fumigated with sulphur by the Council's staff
From 207 houses 8,465 articles were stoved, 577 washed, and 1,690
destroyed on account of their verminous condition.
The total number of articles of clothing, bedding, &c., dealt with at
the station on account of vermin was 18,350, and 584 articles were
washed and 1,690 destroyed.
In dealing with verminous conditions, 280 visits (of which 126 were
in connection with school children) were paid by the Disinfecting
Superintendent. Seven notices were served at the instance of the
Sanitary Inspectors, with reference to bedding, &c., in a filthy condition.
(General Powers Act, 1904, Section 19 (1).)