Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
The annual report made to the Council of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich for the year 1905
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bituminous coal was prohibited, they had a clear air and no persistent
or yellow fogs. He did not doubt that if London burned
wood, or anthracite, or gas, it would have an atmosphere as
transparent in clear weather as that of Paris or Rome. Dark fogs
artificially prolonged, were due to the uneconomic burning of
bituminous coal, and kitchen or ordinary fires were more responsible
for them than factories.
Professor Henry Adams in his paper on Smoke Abatement,
reminded us that smoke was only unconsumed fuel, so that its
appearance was direct evidence of wasteful extravagance.
The Treasurer of the Coal Smoke Abatement Society, in his
paper, pointed out that if the improvement was to be effected it
must be by the lessening of smoke, particularly the early morning
smoke. He stated that a large number of owners of factories had
communicated with his Society, stating that the absence of smoke
from their chimneys was due to careful stoking and good coal,
and not to mechanical contrivances. The absence of smoke had
led to increased efficiency and economy in working.
A Resolution on this matter was also unanimously agreed upon.
There were many other instructive papers, but the above
appear to us to be those dealing with points which we have
particularly before us at the present time.
The final combined meeting of the various Sections of the
Congress was held on July 25th, when the various Resolutions
passed by the Sections were brought forward and adopted by the
whole Congress; these Resolutions being as follows:—