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180 Annual Report of the London County Council, 1912.
serve the first statutory notice upon them. Much of the time of the attendance officers was thus spent
in serving these first notices. In order, therefore, both to effect a saving of their time and to produce
a more lasting effect the scheme Was revised in June, 1912. Since then facilities have been offered for
voluntary baths before the serving of the statutory notice. The mode of procedure is now as follows:—
CLEANSING SCHEME (PERSONS AND CLOTHING).
Slight cases. Severe cases.
Advice given.
Remedied by parents. Unremedied.
A Card given offering voluntary Local Medical Officer
baths at cleansing station. of Health informed.
Opportunity accepted. Opportunity neglected.
B Three voluntary baths given. C Child separated from others in school.
Child cleansed. In case of Divisional Superintendent directed Local Medical Officer
relapse begin again at A. to serve Statutory Notice. of Health informed.
Parents now come volunta- Child cleansed by parent. No steps taken by
rily to station. In case of relapse begin parent.
again at C.
D Three voluntary baths given. E Child examined within 24 hours by
In case of relapse commence nurse and conveyed to station for | Local Medical Officer
again from C. compulsory bath. Child cleansed of Health informed.
in one operation. J
F If the child again becomes verminous
police court proceedings are
taken. Pending the hearing, the
child, if not cleansed, is excluded
from school. After a conviction the
child is taken again to the centre
for a compulsory bath.
The school nurse visits the schools and examines all the children. Those whose persons or
clothing are not infested with vermin or are not in a foul or filthy condition, but show traces of vermin
or are in an unclean condition take home in a closed envelope a card drawing attention to the unsatisfactory
condition and containing advice as to remedial treatment. The children are kept Under observation
and if an improvement does not occur a similar card drawing attention to the Council's powers
under the Children Act is forwarded by the school nurse to the nurse in charge of the station, who
inserts on the card in a space provided for the purpose, particulars as to when the child may attend for
a voluntary bath. The card is then returned to the head teacher who places it in a closed envelope
to be taken home by the child.
This card is also issued to children actually found verminous at the first examination. At the
same time, with a view to simultaneous action being taken under the L.C.C. (General Powers) Act, 1904,
Part IV., in regard to conditions obtaining within the homes, the local medical officer of health is informed
of the child's condition and of the opportunity given for a bath. Children who keep the initial appointment
are given opportunities for three voluntary baths in all at intervals of from three to ten days.
Should the conditions recur, a further notice is issued. Those children who do not take advantage of the
opportunities afforded are separated from the clean children in school and the divisional superintendent is
requested to serve on the parent or guardian a statutory notice requiring them to cleanse the child
within 24 hours and again offering a voluntary cleansing should there be no convenience for bathing
at home. In the event of a child attending voluntarily at this stage and subsequently becoming
verminous, the statutory notice is served again, and if necessary repeated before the scheme can
proceed. Notification of the request for the service of the statutory notice is forwarded to the local
medical officer of health in order that he may deal with clothing, etc., at the home if necessary. The
divisional superintendent notifies the nurse when the notice has been served and she re-examines
the child and, if necessary, conveys it to the station for compulsory cleansing. The divisional superintendent
is kept informed with regard to all compulsory baths.
In the case of children compulsorily cleansed who are subsequently found verminous, a form
similar to the statutory notice, but stating that police court proceedings are being instituted and offering
a further voluntary bath, is served upon the parent or guardian. A summons is immediately procured
and the local medical officer of health informed of the fact. Pending the hearing by the magistrate,
those children who fail to attend for the voluntary bath are examined and if necessary excluded, but any
child who presents itself at school as clean is re-admitted. The nurse is immediately notified of the readmission,
makes an examination and decides whether the child should continue in attendance. After
the hearing of the case in court the child is conveyed to the station and cleansed.