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In addition to these examinations at the Lister Institute, 535 specimens of sputum were
examined at the Tuberculosis Dispensary.
Facilities for the examination of cerebro-spinal fluid in suspected cases of cerebro-spinal fever,
etc., are available to the Council's Public Health Department through the London County
Council's Laboratory and for the examination of suspected foodstuffs and of blood in suspected
malaria cases through the Ministry of Health.
PUBLIC BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES.
There are at the Public Baths, a Men's First Class Swimming Bath with a capacity of 120,000
gallons, a Women's First Class Swimming Bath with a capacity of 45,000 gallons, and a Second
Class Men's Bath and Second Class Women's Bath each of which holds 45,000 gallons.
The charge for admission to the First Class Baths is 8d.; 3d. is charged for admission to
the Second Class Baths, children being admitted at half price.
During the year, the Council installed special apparatus for the constant filtration and aeration
of water in all four swimming baths with a view to securing that the same shall at all times be
perfectly clean. The type of plant selected was that made by the Pulsometer Engineering Company,
Limited. Practical tests have proved the efficiency of the filtration and aeration plant and
bacteriological examinations of the water have shown that even after the baths had been used by
numerous bathers the water was as pure as when it was originally drawn from the mains. The
plant should amply repay the Council for their capital expenditure by savings on water and fuel.
Further tests are to be made during the coming Summer and the results of these will be reported
in my next Annual Report.
There are 13 Men's and 7 Women's First Class Slipper Baths and 34 Men's and 20 Women's
Second Class Slipper Baths. The charge for a First Class Warm Slipper Bath is 8d., and for a
Second Class, 3d., whilst the charges for a First Class Cold Slipper Bath and for a Second Class
Cold Slipper Bath are 4d. and l½d. respectively. There are 6 special Warm Baths for the use of
which a charge of 1/- is made.

In the Wash-house or Laundry Department, there were 90 wash-tubs in use in 1926. In order
to prevent the wash-tubs being used by professional laundry-women, to the exclusion of women
doing their own family washing, the prices to be paid by a user of a wash-tub are as follows:—
2d. for each of the first four hours on any one day.
4d. for the fifth hour on any one day, and
6d. for the sixth and everv succeeding hour on anv one day.

The charge for the use of the washing machines is 6d. for a period not exceeding half
an hour, or 9d. per wash not exceeding a period of one hour with a fee of 6d. for every additional
half hour or less period. The number of women using these machines in 1926 was 11,961.
MORTUARY AND CHAPEL OF REST.
During the year 67 bodies were deposited in the Public Mortuary under the following
circumstances:—
At the request of relatives or friends of the deceased 41
At the request of undertakers 2
At the request of Coroner 5
By the police 19
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In 18 cases, post-mortem examinations were made under the Coroner's warrant.