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78
The following diagram indicates the alterations' in the scheme at a glance. The words in italics
are omitted and those in small capitals inserted:—
CLEANSING SCHEME (PERSONS AND CLOTHING).
Slight head cases. Severe head cases and
Advice given. body cases.
I I
I I
Remedied bv parents. Unremedied.
I I
I
A Card* given offering voluntary) Borough medical officer of
baths at cleansing station. / health informed in body cases.
I
I I
Opportunity accepted. Opportunity neglected.
1
B Three voluntary, baths given. C Child separated from others in schools,} R , n
Child cleansed. In case of divisional superintendent directed ^ health informed
relapse begin again at C. to serve statutory notice. J
■
1 "~1 i
Parents now come volun- Child cleansed by parent. No steps taken by
tarily to station. In case of relapse begin paient.
again at C.
i r ' v
D Three voluntary baths given. F Child examined within 24 hours by I
Child cleansed in one nurse and conveyed to station ^ Borough medical officer
operation. for compulsory bath. Child j of health informed
In case of relapse. cleansed in one operation. ]
r " r~"
E Divisional superintendent G If the child again becomes verminous
asked to serve statutory police court proceedings are taken,
notice, in which no oppor- Pending the hearing, the child, if
tunity of voluntary bath not cleansed, is excluded from
is given. school. After a conviction the
child is taken again to the centre
for a compulsory bath.
Cleansed by parent. No steps taken by
In case of relapse parent proceed
begin again at E. under F.
* The wording of this card is amended.
Results of
" speeding
up."
of The proposals outlined above were adopted by the Council, and the new scheme came into
ing operation after the summer holiday of 1919.
The Sub-Committee, 21st November, 1919, considered an interim report as to the effect of the
appointment of this additional nursing staff in connection with the cleansing scheme. This report
related to seven weeks' work, and attention was drawn to the great increase in the number of baths
given resulting from the greater activity. The numbers for the full term as compared with the similar
period for the preceding year are now available—
No. of baths given from Verminous. Scabies. Total.
2-9-19 to 31-12-19 25,979 .. 14,476 ... 40,455
26-8-18 to 31-12-18 11,808 ... 18,999 ... 30,807
Increase or decrease + 14,171 ... — 4,523 ... + 9,648
The volume of work involved in securing this result will be better appreciated from a consideration
of the procedure under the scheme. In the first place there is a preliminary examination by the
school nurse of every child attending school classified as "clean," "slightly infested," "badly
infested." To each child in the last two categories warning notices are given which in the badly infested
children offer facilities for voluntary attendance at the children's bathing stations. After a week has
passed the slightly infested children are re-examined, and cases where the unsatisfactory condition
is not remedied are included in the third category.
The names of all children placed in the third category are forwarded to the nurses in charge of
the bathing stations, who, after a week's grace to allow voluntary attendances, re-examine all children
concerned, and where cleansing has not been effected, apply for the service of a statutory notice under
the Act. A further week is allowed from the date of the service of the notice to allow ample time for
a cleansing to be effected either at home or by a voluntary attendance at the station, and then the
children are again examined. Those who remain in an unsatisfactory condition are conveyed for
compulsory cleansing.
All children in respect of whom statutory notices have been issued must be kept constantly
under observation, and if a relapse occurs, one of three courses is followed, viz.—
(a) If the child was cleansed at home—a re-issue of the statutory notice.
(b) If the child attended voluntarily at station—issue of statutory notice without giving
further facilities for voluntary attendances.
(c) If the child was cleansed compulsorily—police court proceedings.