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24
After consultations with colleagues, who are learned in this work, we made
certain recommendations to you, as a result of which Dr. E. A. Straker, a research
pathologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, was appointed
to a part-time post to look after this work and to co-ordinate it with the rest of
the work of the Department. Dr. E. M. Hill, who obtained a degree in BioChemistry
and who holds a Diploma in Bacteriology, was appointed by you as a
Scientist in the laboratory. Dr. Hill obtained her training in bacteriology at
the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and in addition, you appointed
a laboratory attendant, who again prior to coming to you had been on the staff
at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
I would like, personally, to thank Professor Topley, who outlined to me
suggestions on which to found a pathological unit on a sound basis. I wish to
thank him, not only for his helpful advice, but also for the ready way in which
he put me in touch with people personally known to him, who could fill the various
roles his own suggestions required.
Although we have started a Pathological Unit in a very small way, it has
been established with the traditions of a great School behind it. This means that
we have, not only its traditions, but also its associations, and I hope our associations
with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine will remain as they are
today.
The work which is undertaken at the laboratory is work which cannot be so
efficiently and so expeditiously undertaken under the County's Scheme, but in
addition to this the pathological unit is responsible for seeing that we use the
County's Scheme to the greatest advantage.
I look upon this development as one of the most important you have undertaken
for many years.
There is a tendency for much of the medical work undertaken in a medical
department to become routine, and the establishment of such an essentially
scientific section in the Department must keep myself and other members of the
Staff much more in contact with the scientific side of medicine than we should
otherwise be.
(b) Ambulance Facilities.—There are now no less than four ambulances in
Barking. Two ambulances are for general and accident cases; another is used
only for cases of infectious diseases and the fourth is the old infectious disease
ambulance which is kept for the conveyance of bedding, but which can in an
emergency be used as a standby ambulance.