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152
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1910
The cleansing scheme (bodies and clothing) was applied in 43 schools, and the parents of 13
children were prosecuted. Fines varying from 2s. 6d. with 2s. costs to 8s. with 2s. costs were imposed
in 12 cases and one case was withdrawn.
This centre has done a good year's work and has been the means of effecting general improvement
in the clothing and condition of the children attending the schools in the neighbourhood. The
children are neglected and verminous, the parents poor and the homes squalid, and as an instance
of the improved conditions attention may be drawn to the case of a parent who gave as a reason for
keeping her child away from school that the child had not been able to have the usual wash in the
previous week. The mother stated also that formerly it was sufficient to send the child to school in a
clean pinafore, but now she must be sent clean right down to the skin, because she might be examined
by the nurse at any time. The teachers have shown appreciation of the scheme and assist the nurses
by sending the children to be cleansed, instead of excluding them indefinitely, with the prospect of
remaining out of school until sent back by the attendance officers with little improvement in their
condition. The " black sheep " of the schools become familiar to the nurse in charge of the station,
who works in conjunction with the nurses whose districts surround the station. The area covered
by the centre is therefore a wide one, and parents who try to evade the nurse by removing and
sending their children to other schools are impressed with the fact that escape is practically impossible
and that some improvement in the condition of the children must be made. One of the results of
the work in this district is the light constantly thrown on the verminous conditions of the homes.
Finch-street

The cleansing scheme (bodies and clothing) was applied in 48 schools and the parents of five
children were prosecuted and fines varying from 5s. with 2s. costs to 10s. or seven days were imposed.
In one case the father went to prison.
* A greater number of children has been cleaned during the year at this station than at any other.
Although there is not such poverty in the district, the verminous conditions are worse than in the poorer
neighbourhoods. Jewish parents are, as a rule, excellent in looking after the amount of clothing and
feeding of their children, but often the clothes are verminous. They live so crowded together that
cleanliness cannot be studied and remonstrance is useless. In many instances in this quarter there is a
separate number on each door in a house showing that whole families are living in each room. In one
case a school nurse found a mentally deficient child living with its mother and a brother in a deplorably
filthy room. The mother could scarcely understand a word of English and the brother, who was 12 years
of age, was an imbecile. There was one bed for the three, and at 12 o'clock the two children were still
undressed. The woman maintained herself and the children by going out washing, and the little girl
might be cleansed over and over again and never be clean; yet prosecution in such a case means
imprisonment and the loss of what little means the parent has of earning a livelihood. There are not
many troublesome parents in the neighbourhood, as foreign parents take or send their children for
voluntary baths. In very few instances is it necessary to prosecute.
Bath-street.

The cleansing scheme (bodies and clothing) was applied in 24 schools and the parents of five
children were prosecuted. One parent was fined 5s. in respect of each of two children and another
parent was fined 10s. Two cases were dismissed, as the magistrate refused to convict unless the hair
was cut and the head freed from nits.