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25
During the latter months of the year the application of the
Schick test to new members of the nursing and domestic staff was
adopted as a routine procedure, in order that those susceptible to
diphtheria might be detected and immunised by treatment with
toxin-antitoxin.
It is intended so far as possible to employ in diphtheria wards
only those who show by the Schick test that they are immune, or
who have been subjected to immunisation treatment six months
previously.
Ambulance Service.
2 Motor ambulances (Wolseley and Ford) are kept at the
Borough Hospital for conveyance of patients with infectious
disease. 596 patients were conveyed and 736 journeys were made.
Borough Hospital Laboratory Report.
Bacteriological examination is undertaken of swabs, sputum,
blood, etc., sent in by practitioners or by the Public Health staff,
or taken from patients in the hospital. It will be seen below that,
in addition to other miscellaneous work, 5,701 swabs were examined
for diphtheria, and 1,140 specimens of sputum for the tubercle
bacillus : —

Blood Serum prepated.
516½dozen tubes at 5/- per dozen = £129 2s. 6d.