The City-County Board of Health may, and shall be authorized and empowered to establish, maintain and operate a bacteriological laboratory for the purpose of diagnosing contagious diseases, and the board is hereby empowered and may purchase all necessary materials and apparatus, and hire all necessary labor for the purpose of establishing and operating such laboratory. The laboratory shall be under the control and direction of the City-County Board of Health.
('74 Code, § 14-14)