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St. Pancras Chest Clinic
Report of the Physician-in-Charge
P.D.B. Davies, M.A., M.D., M.R.C.P.
The prevalence of tuberculosis continues to diminish steadily. The chest clinic has therefore
found it possible to extend its unique pattern of function to other diseases. The clinic has
widened the system of a register of patients, for whom the clinic maintains unbroken supervision,
to include all patients in St. Pancras district of Camden known to be suffering from chronic
bronchitis, lung cancer and other chronic infections. In this way, the clinic hopes by home visiting,
regular outpatient examination and, where necessary, admission to the wards of the Whittington
Hospital Chest Unit, not only to improve the long term care of their patients and to alleviate suffering
from incurable disease, but at the same time, to investigate the natural history of the diseases,
their causes, prevention and cure.
The Chest Service sets a most desirable example, whereby prevention, treatment and
rehabilitation are one continuous responsibility. Thanks to the services of the health visitors,
the day-to-day care of the chest clinic patient is infinitely better served than that of the generality
of disabled persons - exacerbation of disease, default from treatment, failure to attend for
re-examination are quickly recognised and corrected. The Chest Service attempts to treat the
patient in relation to his environment; it concerns itself with such social practicalities as housing,
nutrition, and the financial support of patients. The Chest Service has proved itself to be truly a
health service working in full co-operation with the Health Department of the Borough.
BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS
The Public Health Laboratory Service provides for the examination of specimens free
of charge for the purpose of diagnosis, the discovery of carrier cases and the examination of
contacts of cases.
During the year 3,048 specimens were examined from persons in Camden and of these
436 were positive for dysentery (mainly Shigella sonnei), 84 were positive for food poisoning
organisms of which 41 showed the presence of Clostridium welchii and 23 of the throat swabs
showed haemolytic streptococci. The remaining 2,505 specimens were negative.
Before 1 April 1965, throat swabs and other specimens for bacteriological examination
from the Borough of Hampstead and St. Pancras were sent to the Public Health Laboratory Service's
Central Laboratory in Colindale, whilst those from the Borough of Holborn were examined at the
Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene, Queen Square, W.C.I.
Since the formation of the London Borough of Camden specimens have been sent to the
Public Health Laboratory Service laboratory at County Hall, S.E.I.
The Health Department provides a daily collection service. Specimens which are brought
or sent by general practitioners to Bidborough House or to the Northern Office in Haverstock Hill
or to Barnes House Maternity and Child Welfare Centre, N.W.5 are conveyed to the laboratory by
the Department's transport. The total number of specimens transported in this way was 1,110.
I am indebted to the Director of the London (County Hall) Bacteriological Laboratory,
Dr. A.J.H. Tomlinson, M.D. for his advice and assistance in providing this service.
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