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25
VERMIN INFESTATION.
Scabies.
Although even in the years preceding the war this complaint had been
increasing in incidence in different parts of the country, war conditions
have apparently caused it to become still more prevalent. In a district
such as this where the extent of infestation in normal times did not
warrant the setting up of any special machinery to deal with those cases
which came to light, the degree of infestation could be judged only by
the extent to which requests were received from the almoners of London
hospitals that the disinfection of the patients clothing might be carried out
after the treatment of the condition in the patient. The increase in
these requests suggested that there was a volume of population of such
size requiring treatment as to justify arrangements being made. Accordingly,
in August, with the approval of the County Medical Officer,
provision was made for the treatment of scabies patients at a number
of first aid posts in the district, the treatment being carried out under the
supervision of the trained nurse attached to the posts. Patients are
accepted for treatment only if referred by a medical practitioner. A
number of cases are referred by the school medical officers but most are
sent by the patient's family doctor. The routine practised was the
application of benzyl benzoate following a hot bath, sulphur ointment
being little used, particularly as many persons before attending have already
applied it. The patient's clothing was removed for steam disinfection
and returned to the post to be collected by the patient. It is
hoped that the facilities for investigation afforded by the present
prevalence of the infection will enable a definite answer to be given
to the question of whether or not it is essential to treat the clothing in
this way and whether the soaking in a hot bath and lathering which is
the accepted prelude to all forms of treatment is essential either. If
these two practices could be omitted no elaborate machinery would then
be necessary to deal with this complaint.
In the later part of the year the Scabies Order, 1941, came into force.
This gives power to the medical officer of health to arrange for the inspection
of premises occupied or recently occupied by a verminous
person, to arrange for the examination by a registered medical practitioner
of a person suspected of being verminous and to arrange for the cleansing
or treatment of verminous persons and the cleansing, treatment or destruction
of any article which is or is likely to be verminous by reason
of having been used by or in contact with that person. The question
of making scabies notifiable has more than once been raised. In the
absence of suitable provision for the treatment of those affected, there
would be little enough justification for the practice. On the other hand,
notification alone would achieve little in the way of enforcing treatment
of those affected. The Scabies Order itself, which is designed to this
end, may prove of little value.
In all some 299 patients attended for treatment, this number be'ng
comprised of 100 adults, 166 children of school age, and 33 children under
five years of age. Few patients failed to attend for the full treatment.