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60
Bacteriological Work.—The work carried out under this heading
during the year was less than in 1924. This is due to the arrangements
made by the County Council of Essex under which practitioners
in the Area can have all their pathological specimens
examined gratuitously at the County Laboratory. Our work,
therefore, was limited to the examination of Diphtheria swabs.

The number of contacts swabbed was 193 and 28 of these were
found to be positive.
The number of School children swabbed was 838, and the examinations
made for the local doctors were 625.
Isolation Hospital.—This institution is situated in the Chingford
Parish, and is about three miles from the centre of our District.
It provides for 85 beds on the 2,000 cubic feet basis, and is used
mainly for the isolation and treatment of patients suffering from
Scarlet Fever or Diphtheria .
Upon occasions, bad cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum are
removed—the mother accompanying the baby—and a few cases of
Chicken Pox and Measles, for whom Hospital treatment could not
be obtained otherwise, have been treated in the cubicle block.
The Staff consists of a Resident Medical Officer, Matron, twentysix
Nurses, a Cook, Needlewoman, Storekeeper, in addition to
seventeen Maids engaged in the administrative and hospital blocks,
and 4 Maids in the Laundry.
The Hospital is self-contained, with producer gas and electrical
plant for heating and lighting.
There are fifteen acres of land attached to the Hospital, five acres
of which are enclosed by a 6 ft. close-boarded fence.
About eight acres are under cultivation for the production of
potatoes and vegetables used in the Hospital. A gardener and
assistant are constantly employed, and in season additional hands
are taken on.