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during the period, feel unwell, or should they not have been recently
vaccinated.
Circular letters were despatched to all General Practitioners in
Finchley, giving details of the outbreak. Such information, it was
considered, would prove of value in cases in which a diagnosis of
smallpox might be suspected.
Fortunately, no case occurred in the Borough.
Vaccination against Smallpox
The number of persons vaccinated for the first time by General
Practitioners and Medical Officers of the Local Health Authority
was eight hundred and fifty-six.
Five hundred and thirty-eight persons were re-vaccinated.
International Certificates of Vaccination
Persons travelling to certain foreign parts have to provide themselves
with certificates of vaccination or inoculation which must have
been completed by their own medical practitioners before proceeding.
In several parts of the world certificates are not accepted unless they
are endorsed by a medical officer in the Government or local authority
of the country of issue. A form of authentication which has been
accepted by the health authorities abroad is that given by public
health authorities and identified by a rubber stamp impression placed
by them on the certificate. The rubber stamp in this office bears the
words "Finchley Corporation—Signature of doctor authenticated."
The purpose of the authentication is to provide proof to those health
authorities abroad who desire it that the signature of the person issuing
the certificate is that of a registered medical practitioner.
During the year some 500 certificates were stamped for this
purpose.
Bacteriological Work
The following table shows the number and nature of the specimens
examined at the Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale,
during 1957:—
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