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During the year 25 persons were notified by Port authorities as arriving from
declared smallpox endemic areas without a valid certificate of vaccination.
These persons were kept under surveillance for the statutory period and in no
case did smallpox develop.
Disinfection
Powers of local authorities to provide a disinfecting station and to order or
themselves to cleanse and disinfect premises and articles are contained in Sections
166 to 168 of the Public Health Act, 1936.
Terminal disinfection of rooms and contents after most infectious diseases can
usually be accomplished by a thorough " spring cleaning " involving the use of soap
and water, fresh air and sunshine. Where sterner measures are deemed necessary,
as in the case of serious infectious disease, the premises are subjected to treatment
with formalin or white fluid disinfectant, and during the year 106 premises were
treated. Disinfection of clothing, bed-clothing and other suitable articles is effected
by steam disinfection at the Council's disinfecting station. Library books, leather
articles, certain fabrics and other articles liable to damage by steam are treated by
formaldehyde in a disinfecting chamber.
Among the articles disinfected during the year were 1,698 articles of bedclothing,
1,528 articles of clothing (including used clothing for despatch abroad to
those countries which require a certificate that this treatment has been carried out).
639 library books and a quantity of leather articles and fabrics.
No charge is made by the Council for disinfection.
Public Health Laboratory Service
Specimens for bacteriological examination are submitted to the Public Health
Laboratory Service at the branch laboratory which is situated at the Town Hall.
Edmonton, and serves an area greater than that of the Borough.
The new public health laboratory at Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone,
London, E.11, referred to in last year's report, had not opened by the end of the
year and the precise date for opening is still not known.
For the convenience of general practitioners and the public, several specimen
collection boxes are situated at various points throughout the borough. The specimens
are collected from the boxes daily and delivered to the branch laboratory.
A total of 8,034 clinical specimens submitted by general practitioners and this
department were examined.
The number of general practitioners who are regular users of the laboratory
service remains constant at about 75%.
Throughout the year we have continued to enjoy the invaluable advice and
assistance of the director of the branch laboratory. Dr. Mair Thomas, and staff, in
the control of outbreaks of diseases.
(See Statistical Tables 6, 7, 8 and 9)
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