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48
RAG AND BONE DEALERS.
Some 22 premises to which the byelaws under Section 9 of the London County
Council (General Powers) Act, 1908, are applicable were on the Register at the end
of the year. Some 82 visits of inspection were made in connection with them, and
in 5 instances written intimations on account of the need for cleanliness were required.
These were duly attended to.
VERMINOUS HOUSES.
The houses where it was necessary to take measures on account of the presence
of vermin numbered 185, and in connection with them some 227 rooms were dealt
with during the year. Sanitary notices were served where required and the usual
steps were taken. An appreciable number of the premises came under notice through
intimations from the School Authorities respecting children reported as being in a
verminous condition.
During the year the homes of some 111 children, 41 boys and 70 girls, notified
as verminous by the School Medical Officer, were reported with a view to the homes,
bedding, etc., where necessary, being dealt with by the Sanitary Authority, whilst
the children were cleaned and their clothing disinfected at the cleansing stations of
the London County Council in the neighbourhood. Intimations were received that
16 boys and 22 girls had been given the opportunity of being cleansed at the cleansing
stations, that in the case of 22 boys and 39 girls Statutory Notices had been served
upon the parents to cleanse the children within 24 hours under Section 122 of the
Children's Act, 1908, and that in the cases of 3 boys and 9 girls legal proceedings
were pending for non-compliance with the requirements of Statutory Notices under
the Act mentioned. In some instances the same children were more than once reported
and their homes had to be visited and dealt with accordingly. In 7 cases the addresses
given were erroneous.
In practically all the. cases reported the homes were visited by the Sanitary
Inspectors and the following summarises the results obtained:—In 94 the rooms
occupied were satisfactory, varying from fairly clean to very clean, in 7 they were
dirty, and in 3 also buggy. In 100 the bedding was clean or fairly so, in 4 it was dirty,
overcrowding was noticed in two instances. In 4 of the homes evidence of poverty
was marked. No evidence of lice was found in connection with any of the homes.
Arising out of the visits of the Sanitary Inspectors one Sanitary Notice was
served upon the owner for cleansing.
The children reported by the School Authorities as suffering from scabies
numbered 57, of whom 28 were females. As a result of the enquiries made by the
Sanitary Inspectors seven other cases came under observation. As far as practicable
steps were taken to prevent infection spreading.