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LABORATORY FACILITIES
A large part of the Council's pathological and allied work in relation to the diagnosis,
prevention and control of infectious diseases is now undertaken at the Southern
Group Laboratory at the Park Hospital, Lewisham. This service is provided by
the Public Health Laboratory Service on behalf of the Medical Research Council.
Specimens sent to this laboratory include samples of milk and ice cream, samples
of food in suspected food poisoning cases, specimens of meat from the abattoir and
samples of swimming bath water. The following summary relates to the work
carried out by the laboratory on behalf of the Council during 1951:—
Food (which includes animal specimens from abattoirs, etc.) 50
Ice Cream (Methylene Blue Test) 53
Milk (Methylene Blue and Phosphatase Tests) and milk bottles (Colony
count) 214
Faeces 31
Blood for agglutinations 5
Sputum 2
Water, from Swimming Baths, Children's paddling pools and boating
lakes 71
Urine 1
427
Examination of specimens of human origin (mainly swab examinations) for
the general practitioners of the Borough, and also specimens referred to the hospital
from local clinics, is undertaken by the Woolwich Memorial Hospital. During the
year 346 such examinations were carried out. Details are as follows:—
Referred by :
General
Practitioners. Others.
Sputum 47 121
Nasal and Throat Swabs 136 42
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"K.I." Printing Works (T.U.) Woolwich. S.E.18