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The diagnosis of almost any serious disease nowadays demands the aid of so many and so
complex a variety of ancillary equipment, apparatus, technicians and medical specialists that it
is irrational to provide these at any but a big general hospital which can at least aim at an economy
in the use of such facilities by employing them in application to as many diseases as
possible. To supply modern facilities of this kind in clinics and hospitals established for dealing
with cancer alone would prove astronomically expensive and entirely uneconomic. The facilities
for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer are generally available in our National Health
Scheme, but the Governors of St. Bartholomew's Hospital are prepared to develop a system of
early laboratory diagnosis of cancer which could be applied to certain organs of women in the
first instance. It might be developed to extend to other organs and to both sexes at a later stage.
As a result of discussions which have already taken place it is confidently hoped that during
1959 definite arrangements will be made for the establishment of a clinic for the diagnosis of
cancer which will be available, through their medical advisers, to City residents and to the
many thousands of persons employed in the City.
The Corporation have no statutory powers to spend money on work of this nature out of rates,
they would however, be prepared to do so out of City's Cash.
RADIOACTIVITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH
"Too often the subject of atomics is treated with the reverence accorded to a mystical cult,
with the furtiveness appropriate to industrial restrictive practices, or with the secrecy which
national security may or may not require. Yet what we are witnessing is perhaps the greatest
ecological change since the recession of the polar icecap at the end of the last Ice Age. Even
the small amount of research already done has demonstrated the selective uptake of radioactive
isotopes by certain aquatic and terrestrial plants, the varying sensitivity of different forms of
life to increasing radiations, the biological concentration of some isotopes in the tissues of the
animal body, and their effect on genetic mutations. We are standing on yet another fringe of the
unknown, not as Man alone, but with the whole range of living things grouped around us in a symbolic
question-mark. It is against this enormous background that we have to examine our more
local problems of radioactivity." ("The Lancet", 24th May 1958).
In terms of practical action in an area like the City, it is clear that there is little that can
be done at this stage. We are a long way from the day when every City Public Health Inspector
need be equipped with a geiger counter, although it is true that these are now obtainable in a
fairly rough form but convenient for use at as low a price as £10 each. In this connectidn it
should be remembered that the Civil Defence Department which is always ready to co-operate in
case of need, already possesses a set of valuable instruments for measuring radioactivity,
including some that are far more accurate than the instruments on sale at £10 each.
There are also some instruments for measuring radioactivity available at the Sir John Cass
Institute, these with certain types of emanations, might be more suitable for measurements than
the Civil Defence instruments.
Meanwhile, as a first step, arrangements were made towards the end of the year for the
Public Health Inspectors to attend a Course of lectures at the Sir John Cass College on "Radioactivity
and its hazards in biology and medicine" — a course which was conducted very successfully
in the early part of 1959. It may well be that another course of instruction will be arranged
to extend the knowledge already gained and so keep the Inspectors in touch with further developments
in this important field.
In addition to the help and advice in measuring and dealing with sources of radioactivity
which could be obtained from the Sir John Cass Institute and the Civil Defence Department there
is a Government Radiological Protection Service.
Apart from institutions like Windscale and Harwell which can clearly be relied upon to take
all necessary measures for the protection of the public as well as their own workers from excess
radioactivity, the chief sources of danger in this respect are radiological and radiobiological
apparatus and substances in hospitals, and the factories where they make such things. A minor
contributor is the X-Ray apparatus in the shoe shop for assessing accurate shoe fitting. Apparently
some jewellers also have small quantities of radioactive materials for use in their work.
There are six shoe shops and four jewellers shops in the City, and the Medical Officer is
satisfied that the radioactivity from these sources is well under control at the moment, although
at any time it would be possible to borrow an instrument from the Civil Defence department for
him to satisfy himself in that respect.
In St. Bartholomew's Hospital, the only hospital in the City, all precautions are taken by the
Staff to ensure that no unwarranted radiations are used, that no radioactive contamination is permitted
and that the disposal of radioactive waste is carried out without any hazards to personnel
within or without the hospital.
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