London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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St Pancras 1906

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]

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71
''vermin," although school-children are prone to become infested. Accordingly,
the Borough Council provided in the estimates for the erection of " Children's
Maths," separate and distinct from, but adjoining the baths for adults, the
Contact Shelter, and the disinfecting chambers.
CHILDREN'S BATHS.
In the first quarter of this year, 1906, two rooms with baths, on the upper
Hoor of the Contact Shelter building were set apart for children, and separate
access was obtained to them by means of an iron staircase from St. Pancras
Gardens, and a doorway made in the west front of the building. One of the
rooms is used by the boys and the other by the girls, and the corridor leading
to the rooms has a glass door at each end, of which only the woman attendant
has the keys. The glass door at the south end leads to the Contact Shelter,
and that at the north end of the corridor to the womens baths in the personal
cleansing house, and so by the iron staircase at the rear of the building to the
yard and the disinfecting chambers, where the clothing is disinfested of vermin
whilst the children are being bathed and treated by the woman attendant.
(See the accompanying plans shoewing the arranigements of the buildings.)
At the same time as these alterations took place, cards of admission were
printed and sent to school teachers for distribution to such children as require
cleansing. At the same time, also, the attendant at the Children's Baths was
instructed to inquire as to the bedfellows of verminous children, and to persuade
them to bring their bedfellows with them, and also to advise them to tell their
mothers to change und wash the pillow-cases and the sheets so that the children
may escape being re-infested.

TABLES OF ATTENDANCES.

1904.Males.Females.Children under 10.Total.
2nd quarter26612779472
3rd „395217168780
4th ,,29117083544
Total 3 quarters of 19049525143301796
1st quarter of 190544832165834
Total 4 quarters14008353952630
1905.Males.Females.Children under 10.Total.
1st quarter44832165834
2nd „698449161163
3rd „6022889899
4th ,,37811611505
Total 4 quarters212611741013401