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
Finsbury 1902
Report on the public health of 1902
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CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIR OK SOME OF FINSBURY BAKEHOUSES.
| No. of Sample. | Where collected. | Above orunder ground. | Date of Collection. | Time. | Temperature 0 F. | Atmospheric pressure. | State of Atmosphere outside. | Carbonic-Acid Gas, C02, parts per 0,0000 | Remarks. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bakehouse A | Under | 1902 21 July | A.M. 7.10 | 66.0 | 29.96 | clear, slight westerly breeze. | 14.5 | Shop open; Sample taken while dough was being worked; 2 men; cub. cap. 1,840 ft. |
| 2 | Street Air(outsideA) | — | do. | 7.20 | 53.6 | do. | do. | 4.9 | |
| 3 | Bakehouse B | Under | 23 July | 6.30 | 69.8 | 29.88 | clear, N.W. breeze | 12.0 | Shop shut; dough being moulded; top of dough bin raised; window open ; 2 men; cub. cap. 1,774 |
| 4 | Bakehouse C | Under | do. | 7.0 | 68.0 | do. | do. | 17.5 | Shop shut; oven being charged; 2 men; cub. cap. 1,299. |
| 5 | Street Air (outside C) | — | do. | 7.15 | 57.2 | do. | do. | 4.5 | |
| 6 | Bakehouse D | Under | 25 July | 6.30 | 75.2 | 29.90 | do. | 16.9 | Shop and doors of Bakehouse open; batch being drawn from oven; 3 men; cub. cap. 3,806. |
| 7 | Bakehouse E | Under | do. | 6.50 | 80.6 | do. | do. | 13.6 | Shop and doors of Bakehouse open; bread being drawn from oven; 2 men; cub. cap. 3,445. |
| 8 | Bakehouse F | Under | do. | 7.10 | 86.0 | do. | do. | 15.8 | Shop open ; bread in oven; 2 men; cub cap. 2,359. |
| 9 | Street Air (outside F) | — | do. | 7.30 | 60.0 | do. | do. | 4.6 | |
| 10 | Bakehouse G | Under | 15 Sept. | 7.0 | 77.0 | 29.96 | clear, very slight air movement. | 16.3 | Shop open; batch in oven; dough in bin rising; 2 men; cub. cap. 1,181. |
| 11 | Street Air (outside G) | — | do. | 7.30 P.M | 59.0 | do. | do. | 4.4 | |
| 12 | Bakehouse H | Under | do. | 3.0 | 75.2 | 29.84 | clear, westerly breeze. | 12.0 | Shop closed; dough being kneaded; 1 man; cup. cap. 1,713. |
| 13 | Street Air (outside H) | — | do. | 3.15 A.M. | 62.6 | do. | do. | 3.9 | |
| 14 | Bakehouse Z | Above | 1 Oct. | 7.40 | 63.5 | 29.80 | clear, strong W. breeze. | 4.9 | Shop open; Bakehouse on shop level; Queen's post roof with trap door; ovens closed; bread just drawn from ovens; 2 men; cub. cap. 2808. |
| I5 | Street Air (outside Z) | —- | do. | 7.50 | 53.6 | do. | do. | 3.8 | |
| Normal Country Air (Standard) | — | — | — | 60.0 | 30.00 | — | 30 |
Notes.—The estimation of the CO2 was made by Pettenkoter's method. Samples of 10 litres were taken and examined at once. In all cases the amount of oxygen
and nitrogen was also estimated, but as the results varied only slightly from the normal, the figures have not been included in the Table.
From the observations made it appears that the air becomes most charged with C02 at the time the baked bread is being drawn from the oven.
It will be noted that the season of the year was late summer. In the winter the amount of C()2 would probably be considerably higher Probably even in
the present Table the degree of C02 recorded is much below the amount usually present, as in all the cases the Bakehouses were of such construction that it
was impossible to enter them for the collection of samples of air without creating very free ventilation. Most of them also had other means of ventilation,
either through the open shop or by means of windows, at the time of the visit. J K. C.