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59
It would be very undesirable to bring verminous persons to a disinfecting
station, and into contact with bedding, clothing, &c., infected with dangerous
infectious diseases, and with persons sheltering from rooms so infected. On the
other hand, it would be undesirable to bring verminous persons and clothing to
baths and washhouses amongst cleanly persons and clothing, altheugh it might be
possible to establish a station of this kind in connection with baths and washhouses;
yet, on the whole, the weight of evidence will probably most strongly
incline to a separate establishment, especially when the requirements of such a
station are fully considered.
The experience of Marylebone is interesting. The Act as drafted will
probably be of no great utility; this was the first opinion formed. As a tentative
measure, the Vestry provided a special bath in a separate building near the
shelter, in case any request were made. A great surprise was in store. The very
first day it was opened for use, namely, 2nd March, 1898, there were four
applicants, and, as to results since, I cannot do better than quote Mr. A. Wynter
Blyth, the Medical Officer of Health:—
"From 2nd March to 31st March, a period (exclusive of Sundays) of
twenty-five days, 148 persons, or an average about six per day, have attended
at the premises, bathed, and simultaneously have had their clothes disinfected
by superheated steam. With the exception of one woman, all the applicants
have been males; 134 have given as an address the Salvation Army Shelter;
eight the Shaftesbury Institute; and six various common lodging-houses in
the Parish. By far the majority have evidently for some time suffered great
discomfort, the skin being in a state of eruption from parasites, the hair matted
with filth, and the clothes indescribably foul. A few of the applicants were so
offensive as to constitute a nuisance. What chance such men would have of
getting even a casual employment, before purification, may be gathered from the
fact that a brief interview in the open air would excite a feeling of nausea and
repulsion. The operation of the Act thus affords an opportunity for a certain class
of the extremely poor to obtain decent regular employment. Beside such personal
advantages, the diminution of the possibility of cleanly people becoming
accidently infected with loathsome skin disease from mixing in crowds, or making
use of public seats in the parks and open spaces, is a distinct public gain. The
solitary bath was admittedly an experiment. This being successful, it follows that
adequate arrangements must be made. The Vestry have, therefore, on the
recommendation of the Sanitary Committee, passed resolutions to provide necessary
staff, to provide a second bath for males, and a second bath for females, and also
an auxiliary disinfecting steam chamber in the same building as the baths, so
that there shall be no loss of time in the operations, and no interference with
ordinary routine disinfection.
"Duriug the month of April, 293 males have cleansed themselves and had
their clothes disinfected at the bath provided by the Vestry; this brings the total
number, since March the 2nd, up to 441.
"During the month of May, 276 men and two women took advantage of the
facilities afforded for personal cleansing, and had their clothes disinfected. It is