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Report of the County Medical Officer—General.
79
London Building Acts.—A number of samples of mortar and other building materials have been
submitted under this Act by the Superintending Architect and District Surveyors in order to ascertain
whether their composition was in accordance with the bye-laws and in one instance the costs of analysis
and attendance at court were recovered by the district surveyor in court.

The proportion of cases in which milk supplied for feeding necessitous children was defective
was high—12.9 per cent. The average percentage adulteration in metropolitan boroughs of samples
examined in 1913 under the Food and Drugs Act was 8.7 per cent., and for the whole of England and
Wales 9.5 per cent.

The greater number of unsatisfactory foodstuffs were jams which, although otherwise pure, had
been coloured by the addition of artificial dyes.
(iv) General.—Several examinations were made at the request of Chief Officers with a view to
ascertaining the ground of complaint as to articles supplied, the failure in use of materials and the
value of certain patent preparations.
Examination of 5,375 specimens of urine has been made. In 598 cases albumen was found,
casts were present in 9 and sugar in 2 cases.
The Council decided to co-operate with the Committee for the Investigation of Atmospheric
Pollution, who are conducting an enquiry on a large scale in London and other centres. The analytical
work in connection with this investigation has been undertaken at the central laboratory. Assistance
has also been rendered to the Commissioner of Police in connection with the examination of oils, etc.,
with a view to assisting in carrying out the provisions of the Defence of the Realm Act. A report on the
result of an investigation was submitted to the Public Control Committee.
River examination.—Ihe usual daily examination of the sewage and effluent and of the water
of the river off the outfalls at both states of the tide has been carried out at the laboratories at Barking
and Crossness. The number of samples examined is set out below:—
Northern Southern
Outfall. Outfall.
Sewage 350 349
Effluent 349 348
River water 572 574
In addition about 50 duplicate samples of effluent taken by the Port of London Authority, as well
as a number of samples of deliveries of lime and protosulphate of iron were chemically examined.
Special examination of the tidal waters of the river Thames in connection with the treatment of
sewage was continued save during the months of April, May and June. This work involves the examination
of specially collected samples of water taken from several points between the Black Deep
at the mouth of the Thames, and Teddington lock, the upper limit of the tideway. The inquiry is still
proceeding and it is not at present possible to refer to any of the results obtained, except to state that
under the present exceptional conditions they possess a special value. The work has been carried out
principally by the staff at the Outfall Laboratories which has been temporarily augmented for the
purpose. In connection with the above inquiry the various tributaries and canals connected with the
Thames have been examined and a certain amount of laboratory investigation on matters relating to
the general question of river purification has been undertaken by the Staff at the Central Laboratories.
Biological treatment of sewage.—An investigation of a biological method of sewage treatment
which presents some new features was started in 1914 and is still proceeding.
Sewage
precipitation
and river
examination