London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Heston and Isleworth 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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Hounslow Health Centre.
This new building came into use at the beginning of October. It provides central
administrative offices for all the local health services and clinic facilities to serve the Hounslow
area of the Borough. The building consists in essence of a large central waiting hall surrounded
by consulting rooms, dental surgeries, etc., over which the offices, staff accommodation and
laboratory are situated. In the basement are boiler room, storerooms and media-preparation
room. Heating is by low temperature hot water panels concealed in the ceilings and the hot
water supply is provided from a calorifier heated by a separate boiler. All boilers are cokefired.
The general lay-out of the building is shown in the accompanying plans.
Staff.
Full particulars of the staff of the Health Department are given at the beginning of the
report.
Laboratory Facilities.
The following specimens were examined during 1938:—
| Specimen. | Public Health Laboratory. | Clinical Research Association. | Camberwell Research Laboratory. | Other Laboratories. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Pos. | No. | Pos. | No. | Pos. | No. | Pos. | |
| Swabs for Diphtheria sent by Medical Practitioners | 213 | 1 | 16 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Swabs for Diphtheria from contacts, schools, etc. | 716 | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sub-cultures examined for Diphtheria | 20 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Swabs for Diphtheria from Staines Joint Isolation Hospital | 302 | 40 | 14 | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| Diphtheria virulence tests (1 from Staines) | – | – | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Blood, for Enteric Widal Tests (1 from Staines) ... | – | – | 5 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Blood, for Wassermann Tests | – | – | – | – | 8 | – | – | – |
| Cerebro-Spinal Fluid (2 from Staines) | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Faeces (2 from Staines) | – | – | 9 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Swabs for organisms other than Diphtheria Bacilli (4 from Staines) | – | – | 13 | 8 | – | – | – | – |
| Swabs for Haemolytic Streptococci | – | – | – | – | – | – | 44 | 11 |
| Sputum for Tubercle Bacilli sent by Medical Practitioners | 90 | 12 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sputum for Tubercle Bacilli taken at Clinics | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hairs for Ringworm taken at Schools or Clinics | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Urines | 3512 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Discharge | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Milk | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Preparation of Materials— Tubes of Serum | 1150 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Throat Swab Outfits | 1050 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sputum Outfits | 200 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |