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8
GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES
Public Health Laboratory Service
The Public Health Laboratory Service carry out bacteriological examinations at the Central Public
Health Laboratory, Colindale Avenue, N.W.9, and at the branch laboratory in Neasden Hospital, Brentfield
Road, N.W.10.
Private practitioners send specimens, such as swabs from sore throats, faeces from intestinal
infections, and cough plates and post-nasal swabs from whooping cough cases to the branch laboratory in
Neasden Hospital, the Health Department, 54, Winchester Avenue, N.W.6, the Willesden Health Centre
381, High Road, Willesden, N.W.10, the Kilburn Health Centre, 9, Willesden Lane, N.W.6, or the Stonebridge
Health Centre, Harrow Road, N.W.10. They are collected and taken to the Central Public Health
Laboratory. The practitioner receives a report by telephone the next morning, followed by a written report.
The Sanitary Inspectors send samples of milk taken from dealers in the district, ice cream from
registered premises and water from domestic premises and swimming baths.
The following results were obtained during 1954

28 Ice Cream Tests :
Grade 1 16
Grade 2 9
Grade 3 2
Grade 4 1
157 Water Examinations:
Domestic supplies, etc 6
Swimming pools 151
Satisfactory 157
Uncleanliness and Scabies
Until 30th September, 1953, adults and children under five years of age with lice and nits or scabies
were treated at Kensington Cleansing Centre and school children at Stonebridge Health Centre.
This arrangement was found to be unsatisfactory; it was uneconomic, inconvenient for patients to
travel to the Kensington Cleansing Centre, and difficult to arrange treatment for a family when several members
were suffering from scabies. Arrangements were therefore made for all cases to be treated at
Stonebridge Health Centre.
As compared with 1953, there has been a marked reduction in the numbers of school children
treated for scabies or lice and nits.
The number of children under 5 years treated has increased, while the number of adults has remained
stationary. This is probably not a reflection of a real increase in incidence but of the greater convenience
for people to attend at Stonebridge Health Centre as compared with the Kensington Cleansing Centre.