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95
VERMINOUS PERSONS BATHS.
Miss Kilgallin, the Matron who superintends the work at
these Baths, has reported that 11,304 adults and 5,244 children
made use of the baths during the year 1908. The comparative
tables submitted showing the numbers during each month of
1907 and 1908, prepared by Miss Kilgallin, indicates a very
marked increase in the work done during the last year. Of the
male adults 7,183 gave as their address on the night previous to
their coming to the baths, the Salvation Army Shelter, and
1,558 gave as their address various Lodging Houses in the
Borough. Of the female adults 327 hailed from the Shaftesbury
Institute, and 2,236 gave no address whatever. There is at
present no means of verifying these addresses, and it might be
advisable, as a check upon this, to give a number of printed
tickets to the Salvation Army Shelter, Church Army, Shaftesbury
Institute, and the various Common Lodging I louses in the Borough,
to be given up by the recipient on presenting himself at the Baths
for treatment. It would soon become common knowledge
among those frequenting Lodging Houses,etc., that the possession
of a ticket was a necessary preliminary to the securing of a bath,
whilst it might always be left to the discretion of your Matron
and the Attendants to treat any bona-fde cases hailing from other
quarters. Your Matron devotes very special attention to the
many cases of neglected children which come to the baths, and
is to be greatly commended for what one may term the ' aftercure
' she bestows upon them. In a very considerable number of
cases she visits the homes and sometimes also the schools, in
order to find out whose fault it is that the children are verminous
In addition to this, of course, the School Nurse receives a list of
children who come to the Baths every week. This co-ordination
of work is bound to exert a very salutary influence on both the
children and their parents. It will be noted that there is a slight
decrease in the children bathed during 1908, as compared with
those in 1907. This decrease is partly due to the fact that the
baths were closed during two weeks in June for painting, and also
to the fact that the new Schools in Capland Street have a bath
provided.
Miss Kilgallin reports that the attendants under her charge
have given every satisfaction in the performance of their work.
As this is the last opportunity I shall have, I desire to put on
record my high appreciation of the manner in which Miss
Kilgallin discharges her difficult and at times very unpleasant
duties.