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
Coulsdon and Purley 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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The results of two chemical examinations and two bacteriological
examinations are given below and these are fairly typical
of the reports received:—
Chemical Analysis.
| Sutton and District Water Company. | East Surrey Water Company. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parts per 100,000. | Grains per Gallon. | Parts per 100,000. | Grains per Gallon. | ||
| Total solids (dried at 180°C.) | 19.0 | 13.3 | 17.0 | 11.9 | |
| Combined chlorine (C1) | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 1.2 | |
| equivalent to Sodium Chloride (Na C1). | 2.6 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 2.0 | |
| Nitric nitrogen (Nitrates) | 0.64 | 0.45 | 0.62 | 0.43 | |
| Nitrous nitrogen (Nitrites) | Definite traces | Present. | Minute trace | present. | |
| Ammoniacal nitrogen | Nil | Nil | 0.0042 | 0.0029 | |
| Albuminoid nitrogen | 0.0004 | 0.0003 | 0.0005 | 0.0004 | |
| Oxygen absorbed in 4 hours at 27°C. | 0.003 | 0.002 | 0.003 | 0.002 | |
| Lead or Copper | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Temporary hardness | equivalent to CaCO3 | 8.0 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 3.5 |
| Permanent hardness | 3.0 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 2.1 | |
| Total hardness | 11.0 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 5.6 | |
Bacteriological Examination.
Probable number of coliform bacilli,
MacConkey 2 days, 37°C. 0 per 100 ml. 0 per 100 ml.
There are no private wells in use in the District; all houses
are provided with a mains supply laid into the house, and there
are no standpipes for common use.
A total of 48 samples were taken from the supplies of the
two Companies and examined for hardness by the Department,
all of which were satisfactory, in that adequate softening had
been carried out.
RAINFALL.
The rainfall registered by the automatic rain gauge installed
at Alderstead Heath was 31.78 inches, this being an increase
of 6.92 inches compared with the previous year. The monthly
totals throughout the year were as follows:—
January 1.02 inches
February 4.35 „
March 1.88 „
April 3.26 „
May 1.39
June 1.82
July 3.39 „
August 2.23 „
September 3.91 „
October 0.43 „
November 6.07 „
December 1.95 „
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