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93
Personal Hygiene.

* Figures for 1912-19 are given in Annual Report for 1923 (vol. III., p. 88).
In addition to these figures the numbers dealt with at the head cleansing
centres during 1921, 1922, 1923 and 1924, were 13,586, 24,637, 24,516 and 23,986
respectively.
It is satisfactory to report again a decrease in the percentage reported as unclean;
a similar decrease is also reported as a result of the school doctors' inspections.
The school nurses note as verminous, not only those children where pediculi and
nits are found but also those cases which show signs of flea bites. Extra rota visits
are occasionally paid to especially dirty schools, so that no comparison can safely
be made with the returns from other authorities where differing methods and
standards exist. The number suffering from scabies continues to decline, the
number treated during 1924, being 2,155 as compared with nearly 10,000 in 1920.
Arrangements were made during 1924 for the use of the new cleansing station
provided by the Hammersmith Metropolitan Borough Council, but the agreement
for the use of the Stepney borough station was determined at the summer holiday.
To replace the latter a centre was opened in the Council's building on the site of
the Trafalgar-square school. In April a new centre organised by a voluntary
committee was opened in Islington for the cleansing of verminous heads only.
There are now 18 sanitary authorities with whom the Council has agreements for
the cleansing of verminous children and in addition there are eight centres organised
by voluntary committees for head cleansing work. These centres, with the Council's
own ten stations, make a total of 36 centres, which are available for the cleansing
of school children throughout London. The head cleansing centre at Hammersmith,
organised by a voluntary committee, will, however, be closed on 31st March, 1925.
Out of 74,643 children whose verminous condition was brought to the notice
of the parents 34,963 attended voluntarily, but in 20,739 cases it was necessary to
serve statutory notices after a further examination. Following upon these statutory
notices, 4,919 children attended voluntarily, but of the remainder 12,749 were
found verminous after a still further examination and were compulsorily taken by
the nurses for cleansing. Among the latter, 889 were subsequently found to have
relapsed and prosecutions under section 87 of the Education Act, 1921, were
instituted in 805 cases.
As in previous years the borough medical officers were informed concerning
children dealt with under the Council's cleansing scheme in order that the home
conditions might be remedied under the General Powers Act, 1922. During 1924
reports were received in regard to 2,282 homes visited ; out of this number
infestation or destruction of bedding or disinfestation of homes was carried out
in 819 instances. In 1923 the corresponding figures were 3,589 homes visited,
action taken in 1,088 cases; in 1922, 5,005 homes were visited and action was
taken in 1,228.
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