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. VIII.—Mean Composition of Thames Water at High Tide at London Bridge, six feet from the Northern Shore, during each Month of the Year, 1862.
| 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. | Faint. | None. | None. | None. |
| Colour of the Deposit | Brown. | Brown. | Brown. | Brown, | Brown. | Browr.. | Brown. | Brown. | Black. | Brown. | Brown | Brown. | Brown. |
| Dissolved Constituents | 26.4 | 27.5 | 21.5 | 23.6 | 23.5 | 25.0 | 55.1 | 111.5 | 125.6 | 86.0 | 319 | 395 | 49 9 |
| Organic | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 11.2 | 10.7 | 31 | 8 8 | 5.1 |
| Mineral | 23.3 | 23.7 | 17.9 | 20.0 | 20.8 | 22.4 | 50.2 | 103.1 | 114.4 | 75.3 | 28.8 | 35.7 | 44 8 |
| Suspended Matter | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 5.6 | 48 | 240 | 4'6 |
| Organic | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 3.7 | 1.1 |
| Mineral | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 4.4 | 37 | 20.3 | 3.5 |
| Total per gallon (grains) | 30.9 | 31.0 | 25.9 | 29.0 | 25.8 | 26.8 | 58.2 | 114.6 | 129.0 | 91.6 | 367 | 635 | 545 |
| Ammonia per gallon (grains) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Combined Sulphuric Acid (grains) | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 4.9 | 7.2 | 11.2 | 7.3 | 5.5 | 4 3 | 4.5. |
| Alkaline Chloride (grains) | 3.7 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 2.9 51.9 | 2.6 | 4.5 | 31.6 | 820 | 87.2 | 58.3 | 14.5 | 15.4 | 25 9 |
| Mean Temperature of the River | 39.4 | 43.0 | 44. 4 | 58.0 | 60.5 | 60.8 | 63.9 | 60.6 | 55.4 | 44.2 | 42.1 | 520 | |
| 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 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 10 | 1.6 | 26.5 |
| Number of Wet Days | 17 | 5 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 7 | 16 | 164 |