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
City of London 1861
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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No. VII.—Mean Composition of Thames Water at High Tide at London Bridge, at Mid-stream,
| Properties of the water and constituents per Impl. Gallon(Grains.) | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | April. | May. | June. | July. | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Average of year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprearance on standing | Clear. | Clear. | Clear. | Clear. | Clear. | Clear. | Clear. | Clear. | Turbid. | Clear. | Clear. | Clear. | Clear. |
| Odour of the Water | None. | None. | None. | None. | None. | None. | None. | Faint. | Bad. | None. | None. | None. | None. |
| Colour of the Deposit | Brown. | Brown. | Brown. | Brown. | Brown. | Brown. | Brown. | Brown. | Black. | Brown. | Brown. | Brown. | Brown. |
| Dissolved Constituents | 27.6 | 30.2 | 22.8 | 21.7 | 23.5 | 26.9 | 66.4 | 151.5 | 149.6 | 104.4 | 53.3 | 49.3 | 60.8 |
| Organic | 3.8 | 5.5 | 31 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.o | 0.3 | 11 2 | 140 | 2n.y | 4.5 | 4.4 | 6 7 |
| Mineral | 23.8 | 24.7 | 19.7 | 19.4 | 20.8 | 24.4 | 61.1 | 140.3 | 135.6 | 83.5 | 48.8 | 44.9 | 54.1 |
| Suspended Matter | 8.3 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 6.3 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 4.6 | 14.0 | 4.4 |
| Organic | 1.5 | 0.9 | ii | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0 5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 1.0 | |
| Mineral | 5.8 | 2.3 | 36 | 50 | 2.5 | 11 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 11.1 | 3.4 |
| Total per gallon (grains) | 35.9 | 33.4 | 27.4 | 23.0 | 26.5 | 28.3 | 69.2 | 154.1 | 152.1 | 105.8 | 57.9 | 63.3 | 65.2 |
| Ammonia per gallon (grains) | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 04 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Combined Sulphuric Acid (grains) | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 6.1 | 8.7 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 7.0 | 4.2 | 5.0 |
| Alkaline Chlorides (grains) | 4.3 | 5.6 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 5.2 | 39.9 | 121.5 | 115.9 | 69.8 | 28.4 | 22.6 | 34.8 |
| Mean Temperature of the River | 39.4 | 43.0 | 44.4 | 51.9 | 58.0 | 60.5 | 60.8 | 63.9 | 60.6 | 55 .4 | 44.2 | 42.1 | 52.0 |
| Highest Temperature | 41.6 | 47.0 | 51.6 | 58.6 | 61.6 | 63.6 | 66.6 | 67.1 | 62.6 | 60.6 | 50.6 | 48.1 | 67.1 |
| Total Rain-fall (inches) | 1.8 | 0.4 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 26.5 |
| Number of Wet Days | 17 | 6 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 7 | 16 | 164 |