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that the Public Health Committee trusted that their efforts in this direction would result in the abandonment by
undertakers of the present practice. Accordingly on the 7th March a circular was addressed to the above effect to
every undertaker in the borough. It is with regret that it is to be reported that none of them has seen fit to take
advantage of this offer. No doubt, nothing will be done until legislation gives power to the Sanitary Authority to
prevent bodies being kept on undertakers' premises while awaiting burial and elsewhere than in a mortuary.

The only proposed changes in connection with mortuary accommodation in London are that
in Poplar arrangements have been made for the utilisation of a portion of a site in Cottage-street and
High-street for a mortuary and of the rest of the site for a Coroner's court, and in Lambeth for the
erection of a mortuary in Norwood on a freehold site in Romany-road adjoining the Norwood cemetery.
The Cleansing of Persons Act.
In the parliamentary session of 1907, the Council obtained powers to remove from school and
to cleanse children suffering from verminous conditions, power being also given to arrange with
sanitary authorities for the use of their cleansing and disinfecting stations. Powers were also conferred
upon the Council in respect of verminous persons in common lodging-houses.
Sanitary authorities have been slow to avail themselves of the powers conferred upon them by
the Cleansing of Persons Act of 1897. Practically no provision has been made for the administration
of the Act in Deptford, Greenwich, Hammersmith, Hampstead, Lambeth, Lewisham, Paddington,
and Westminster.
The extent of use of any provision made is in some degree governed by the character of the
population, but also largely depends upon the nature of the accommodation provided and upon the
adequacy of the steps taken to make its existence known.

The following references to the subject appear in the several annual reports :—
Kensington.—Dr. T. Orme Dudfield suggests that the Borough Council might co-operate with the
County Council in regard to the cleansing at the casual wards, Mary-place, of the inmates of common
lodging-houses, and states that for the needs of the schools in the northern division of the borough the
nucleus of a station exists at the Council's schools, Sirdar-road, where on the playing roof of one of the
buildings baths supplied with hot and cold water were provided some years ago, but are not now in
use.
Stoke Newington.—Dr. Kenwood states that at the close of 1906 the Public Health Committee
decided to treat children with verminous bodies and clothing, as adult verminous persons have hitherto
been treated under the Act, and that it is necessary to utilize the Hackney Borough station, which is a
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