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Mortuary.—During 1936, 31 bodies were deposited in the
Council's mortuary situated at the rear of the Town Hall.
The present mortuary was considered inadequate for its present
purpose and plans have been prepared for the erection of an up-todate.
suitably equipped structure, containing post mortem room,
body store and viewing room. This building will occupy a site at
the rear of the Town Hall, convenient of access yet suitablyscreened
from the road. Its provision has been a long-felt need and
will mark yet another step in the Public Health progress of the
Borough.
LABORATORY FACILITIES.
The following tables set out the work carried out at the
Council's laboratory and at other laboratories to which material
was sent during 1936.
Once again, the provision of a laboratory within the Borough
has proved of definite value. The scope of the laboratory is gradually
being extended, particularly in the direction of milk examinations.
We may now look forward to the day when the new hospital
will be constructed, with a larger and more completely equipped
laboratory. When that day arrives, it is sincerely to be hoped that
the facilities provided may be available to the Borough of Southgate
as a whole, as well as to the Joint Hospital itself.
Opportunity has been taken during the year to train an additional
Sanitary Inspector and the Chief Clerk of the Public Health
Department in the technique of laboratory work. This places us in
a more secure position as regards stand-bys during holiday or illness
periods.
Work carried out at the Council's laboratory during 1936:—
Hospital. Borough.
Positive. Negative. Positive. Negative.
Swabs for Diphtheria
Bacilli 462 3,027 17 340
Swabs for Haemolytic
Streptococci — — 11 29
Sputa for Tubercle
Bacilli — 1 17 143
Total 4,047 (Total, 1935—4,447).
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