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 1898
Report on the sanitary condition of the City of London for the year 1898
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WATER ANALYSIS. Table showing the relative composition of the New River Company's and the East London Company's supply within the city boundary.
| Details (Given in Grains per Gallon). | New River, 23rd Sept., 1898. | East London, 14th Sept., 1898. | East London, April, 1897. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Solids, dried at 212 Fahr. | 29.00 | 19.2 | 28.20 |
| Chlorine, in Chlorides | 1.52 | 1.50 | 1.45 |
| Chlorine, estimated as Common Salt. | 2.50 | 2.47 | 2.39 |
| Nitrogen, in Nitrates | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.35 |
| Nitrogen, as Nitric Acid (HNO). | 0.31 | 0.40 | 1.57 |
| Alkalinity, estimated as Carbonate of Lime. | 15.10 | 12.10 | 13.00 |
| Hardness, in degrees, of Clark's Scale. | 18.0° | 14.6° | 17.2° |
| Free (or Saline) Ammonia | none | none | none |
| Albuminoid (or organic) Ammonia. | 0.0028 | 0.0021 | 0.0056 |
| Nitrites | none | none | none |
By comparing the above figures, it will be
seen that from a chemical point of view the
condition of the "East London Company's"
supply was purer in the autumn of 1898 than it
was in April, 1897, and as wholesome as the
"New River Company's" water, examined within
a few days of the former under precisely the
same circumstances as to weather, &c.
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