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Section B—Health Services.
Laboratory Facilities
Mr. D. D. Moir, 16, Southwark Street, London, S.E.1, is the Council's
appointed Public Analyst to whom samples of food and drugs and water are
submitted. For the examination of clinical material in respect of infectious
disease, use is made of the Hospital Laboratory Services mainly at the
St. Helier Hospital. Laboratory investigations in cases of food poisoning
and the bacteriological examination of milk and water is undertaken by the
Public Health Laboratory at Epsom. The biological examination of milk
for tuberculosis is done at the Guildford Public Health Laboratory.
The following examinations were made during the year :—
Faeces Specimens 23
Water (Public Supply):
For chemical analysis .. .. .. 3
For bacteriological examination .. .. 5
Water (Swimming Bath) :
For bacteriological examination .. .. 10
Food and Drugs :
Analysis .. .. .. .. .. 303
Bacteriological examination of milk .. 195
Bacteriological examination of ice cream .. 9
Biological examination of milk 12
In addition, bacteriological investigation was carried out by Queen
Mary's Hospital's own laboratory on 31 samples of food and on specimens
from 121 individuals in connection with the outbreak of food poisoning at
that institution.
Vaccination and Immunisation
Schemes of vaccination and immunisation are the responsibility of the
County Council under Section 26 of the National Health Service Act. With
the inclusion of vaccination against poliomyelitis in 1956 the diseases against
which this form of protective treatment is now provided are as follows:
smallpox — diphtheria — whooping cough — tetanus — poliomyelitis and
tuberculosis. The scheme in respect of the four first-mentioned infections is
directed locally by the District Medical Officers of Health by arrangement
with the District Councils. Polio, vaccination so far is directed by the
Divisional Medical Officers of the County Council, whilst Mantoux testing
and B.C.G. Vaccination for tuberculosis, at present limited to thirteenyear-old
schoolchildren (except when given as part of the chest clinic
services), is provided under the School Health Service Scheme.
The smallpox vaccination scheme which was previously mainly directed
to the protection of infants was extended during the year to provide for the
primary vaccination of adults and the re-vaccination of both children and
adults.
Details of the work done in connection with these schemes are given in
Section F.
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