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authority for a period of up to 16 days. In Hornsey during the year
31 contacts were kept under surveillance and 6 suspected cases of
smallpox were visited by the Medical Officer of Health to give a
second opinion. In addition, particularly in view of the shortage of
calf lymph, it was necessary for the department to arrange supplies
of vaccine for general practitioners, and even at times to work a
system of rationing, so that all genuine contacts or suspected contacts
of the disease could be vaccinated with the minimum delay and members
of the general public who were rather panicked into requesting this
protection, were not given priority over those at risk. Any relaxation
of the careful checking and somewhat tedious following up of contacts
could lead to a large scale outbreak, particularly in these days of
speedy air travel which can carry a patient from an infected area
into the country some days before the disease develops and can be
recognised.
LABORATORY SERVICES
The Health Department is still the collecting centre for laboratory
specimens submitted by medical practitioners in Hornsey. Containers
are obtainable from the department during normal office hours and
specimens are collected daily by a messenger from Colindale Laboratory
at approximately 3.30 p.m. (10.30 a.m. on Saturdays). The laboratory
at Coppetts Wood Hospital is open to receive specimens at any time
up to 5 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays and 12 noon on Saturdays.
In addition, a 24-hour emergency service is maintained by the Central
Public Health Laboratory, Colindale.
The following specimens submitted by Hornsey patients were
examined during 1962.
Throat swabs 100
Sputum 18
Faeces 230
Urine 32
Other 26
Other examinations were carried out as follows:-
Water 15
Meat 113
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