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65
The following report describes what is being done in Southwark in
regard to the cleansing of verminous persons and the disinfection of
verminous bedding and rooms:—
CLEANSING OF VERMINOUS PERSONS.
In reply to the circular letter received from the Clerk of the London
County Council desiring to know what provision has been made for the
cleansing of verminous persons I beg to report that a bath room with
undressing and waiting rooms, together with a Washington-Lyon's
disinfecting apparatus and rooms, have been provided adjoining the
Reception House.
We have ample equipment in regard to staff for the cleansing of any
number of adults and children that may be sent on to us. Up to the
present time, however, we have not received a sufficient number of
persons to keep the staff, originally organised for the purpose, daily
engaged. We have, therefore, for the sake of economy arranged for
school children as far as possible to be sent to us on three days of the
week, viz.:—Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We have also arranged
with the London County Council nurses for them to advise us on the day
before the children are sent, of the number of children we are likely to
have to deal with, so that we may be prepared to attend to them without
delay on the bathing day.
We are particularly careful that adults and children shall be kept
separate, and be treated at different times in the day. We are also
careful that the two sexes of children shall be bathed at different times,
only children of different sexes under six years of age are allowed in the
bath rooms at the same time.
Cards admitting persons to the Bathing Station are put into the
hands of the nurses for their use.
On the same day as the school children are bathed and their clothes
disinfected, the bedding upon which they have been sleeping is also
collected, disinfected and returned home. The rooms are also fumigated,
and when necessary, the paper is stripped off the walls.
Cases of verminous casuals are received on any day of the week and
attended to.
A man and his wife are engaged for the bath rooms, the woman
attending to the bathing and cleansing of the children and women, and
the man to big boys and adult males.