View report page

Section B—Health Services.
Laboratory Facilities
Clinical material in connection with infectious diseases, puerperal
pyrexia and tuberculosis is examined at the Emergency Public Health
Laboratories at the St. Helier and Sutton and Cheam Hospitals. Laboratory
investigations into suspected food poisoning and bacteriological examination
of milk and water are carried out at the Epsom Public Health Laboratories.
Food, drugs and water samples are submitted to the Council's
analyst, Mr. D. D. Moir, 16, Southwark Street, London, S.E.I. Samples of
milk for biological examination for tuberculosis are submitted to the Public
Health Laboratory at Guildford.
The following examinations were made during the year :
Faeces Specimens 320
Rectal Swabs 24
Blood Specimens 1
Water (Public Supply) :
For chemical analysis 3
For bacteriological examination 2
Water (Swimming Bath) :
For bacteriological examination 6
Food and Drugs :
Analysis 340
Bacteriological examination of milk 220
Bacteriological examination of ice cream 98
Bacteriological examination of other foods
for food poisoning organisms 2
Biological examination of milk 13
Vaccination and Immunisation
Vaccination and immunisation are the responsibility of the County
Council under Section 26 of the National Health Service Act. Statutory
schemes have now been formulated for (i) vaccination against smallpox,
(ii) immunisation against diphtheria, (iii) immunisation against whooping
cough, (iv) Mantoux testing and B.C.G. vaccination against tuberculosis of
13 year-old schoolchildren, (v) vaccination against poliomyelitis at present
restricted to groups of children selected by the Ministry of Health.
By arrangement with the District Councils, local Medical Officers of
Health direct the schemes in respect of the three first-mentioned diseases,
whilst B.C.G. vaccination and polio, vaccination are carried out under the
School Health and County Health arrangements. Details of the work
performed under the supervision of the district Medical Officers of Health
are given in Section F, dealing with infectious diseases.
18