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
Ilford 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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41
There are two local Acts in operation—(1) The Ilford Improvement
Act, 1898, which has important sanitary provisions,
and (2) Ilford Urban District Council Act, 1904, the section of
which (dealing with the control of Tuberculosis) is now over-ruled
by the Milk and Dairies Act, while the section dealing with
infectious disease has enactments similar to the Public Health
Acts of 1907. Sections 62 and 63 only of Part IV. of the Public
Health Act, 1907, have been adopted.
SECTION II.—SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE
AREA.
1. Water Supply.—The district is divided by the Cranbrook
Road into two areas. The portion north and west of this road is
supplied by the Metropolitan Water Board, the remaining portion
by the South Essex Waterworks Company, and both companies
maintain a constant supply. With two or three exceptions, all
houses are supplied by a pipe from the main direct to each house.
There are now no public wells in existence. There are still a
few private wells in the rural area.
Water supplied by each of the companies was submitted to analysis during the year, with the following results:—
| Metropolitan Water Board. | South Essex Waterworks Co. |
|---|---|
| Chlorine in Chlorides 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Nitrogen in Nitrates 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nitrites or Free Chlorine Absent | Absent |
| Hardness:—Permanent 5.6 | 4.5 |
| Temporary 21.5 | 20.5 |
| Total 27° | 25° |
| Free Ammonia 0.0020 | 0.0004 |
| Albuminoid Ammonia 0.003 | 0.0038 |
| Oxygen absorbed in 3 hours at 37° C 0.028 | 0.027 |
| No. of Bacteria per c.c.— | |
| On Gelatine in 3 days 55 | 53 |
| On Agar in 24 hours 2 | 5 |
| The Bacillus Coli absent in 100 c.c. | absent in 100 c.c. |
| The sample is of a very high degree of organic and bacterial purity andean be certified as pure and wholesome. | The sample can be certified as a pure and wholesome water, suitable for the purpose of a public supply. |