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MASS RADIOGRAPHY
The Middlesex County Council Mass X-Ray Unit visited Edmonton
during May and June, 1947, and set out below is the report of Dr. W. Pointon
Dick, Physician-in-Charge :—
"Since November, 1946, discussions have taken place regarding a visit
of the Mass X-Ray Unit to Edmonton. Dr. Regan, Medical Officer of Health,
was very keen that both the factories in the Borough (employing about 13,000
people) and the general public should be included in the scheme. Some
Edmonton firms have already shown great interest and were on the County
Council's waiting list, notably, The Klinger Manufacturing Company who
offered accommodation to the Unit for an indefinite period. The space
provided was, unfortunately, too small to examine more than a limited number
of people, so after the Klinger Staff themselves had been X-Rayed, the machine
was moved to the British Oxygen Company, which was very conveniently
situated in the middle of the Angel Road Colony. The resident Director
kindly agreed that other groups should attend at B.O.C. and altogether 2,721
were examined there, including 438 of the Borough Council staff. For the
general public it was felt that the best centre would be in the town itself, if
accommodation could be found. This proved to be a great difficulty, and the
project was almost abandoned for lack of a suitable place to instal the apparatus.
The situation was saved by Major Gibbons of 4/6 Battalion, Middlesex Regiment
who agreed that application should be made to Lt.-Col. Pettman for the
use of the Army huts in Church Street. The Edmonton Council agreed to
pay for the use of the huts and also for some adjustments, such as a covered
way from one hut to another. The accommodation thus adapted proved to
be very suitable, although it would have been still better in the centre of the
Borough.
An extensive publicity campaign was undertaken. Posters, notices in
the local paper, a short film shown at the Regal, handbills to all Doctors in the
Borough and Local Organisations and to 3,000 schoolchildren who took them
home to their parents ; talks at Union Branches and other Meetings. Finally
a loud-speaker van. County Councillor Mrs. Long, accompanied by several
Councillors and Dr. Goggin, opened the first women's session—she addressed
about fifty housewives who were waiting to be X-Rayed, and congratulated
them on coming out on what turned out to be one of the very hottest afternoons
of a sudden heat wave. The Member of Parliament for Edmonton,
Mr. Evan Durbin, opened the evening session for men, and made some very
helpful remarks on the need for supporting this public health measure—he
showed his practical interest by being the first man to be X-Rayed. The
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