London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ealing 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
This page requires JavaScript
21
GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES.
PATHOLOGICAL LABORATORY.
A laboratory for the examination of pathological specimens
is provided at the Public Health Department in the Town Hall.
The work mainly consists of the examination of specimens for the
diagnosis of diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever and other
infectious diseases. The advantage of a laboratory of this character
being available in Ealing can be appreciated when one considers
the delay in transmitting specimens to London. In addition, the
maintenance of this laboratory brings about a considerable saving
to the Council.
The prevalence of diphtheria throughout 1934 resulted in a
large increase in the number of specimens submitted for examination,
as will be seen in the following table :—
| Positive | Negative | Total 1934 | Total 1933 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria : From the Practitioners in Borough | 126 | 1,063 | 1,189 | 558 |
| From the Isolation Hospital | 620 | 3,356 | 3,976 | 2,322 |
| From the School Medical Department | 13 | 203 | 216 | 148 |
| Tuberculosis | 68 | 345 | 413 | 368 |
| Miscellaneous | 11 | 302 | 313 | 296 |
| Total | 838 | 5,269 | 6,107 | 3,692 |
AMBULANCE FACILITIES.
1. For infectious disease.—An ambulance for the removal of
cases of infectious disease to the Chiswick and Ealing Isolation
Hospital is garaged at the hospital and deals with all cases occurring
in the Borough.
2. For accident and illness cases.—The ambulance service
provided by the Council for accident and illness cases is now manned
by the Fire Brigade. Towards the end of the year the ambulances
were transferred to the new Fire Station and the duties of the
ambulance staff were re-organised.