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
Bermondsey 1947
Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1947
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LONDON UNDERGROUND WATER. Result at the Water Analysis at Private Wells in Chalk in the Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey.
| WELL | Depth of well in feet | Gallons per hour | Purpose for which water is used | Approx distance from Thames | Point at which sample was taken | CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. Parts per 100,000 | BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combined Chlorine | Equivalent to Sodium Chloride | Free Ammonia | Albuminoid Ammonia | Nitrogen as Nitrates | Nitrogen as Nitrites | Oxygen absorbed from Permanganate (3 hrs. at 37°C.) | Appearance | No. of microorganisms per cubic centimetre living and capable of development upon agar at 22°C. | No. of microorganisms per cubic centimetre living and capable of development upon agar at 37°C. | Microbes of Indication | ||||||||
| Coliform Group | Streptococci | CI. welchii | ||||||||||||||||
| NO. 1 | 400 | 9,000 | Solely for process | ½ mile | From a hose connected to the pump | 19.53 | 32.22 | 0.0097 | 0.0080 | 0.80 | Nil | 0.100 | Clear and Bright | 0 | 0 | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. |
| NO. 2 | 400 | 3,500 | Solely for process | ½ mile | From a tap connected to the pump | 15.27 | 25.20 | 0.0932 | 0.0102 | 0.25 | trace | 0.120 | slightly cloudy owing to suspended chalk | 4 moulds | 0 | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. |
| NO. 3 | 400 | 3,000 | Solely for process | ½ mile | From supply to gelatine cooling trays | 15.55 | 25.66 | 0.0175 | 0.0083 | 0.12 | trace | 0.19 | chalk Clear and Bright | 0 | 0 | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. |
| NO. 4 | 360 | 2,000 | Solely for process | ½ mile | Taken from tap in yard | 16.08 | 26.53 | 0.1943 | 0.0087 | 0.02 | Nil | 0.14 | Slight cloudiness due to chalk | 5 plus three moulds | 6 plus four moulds | 170 per 100 c.c. These are of the intermediate type II and are considered to be | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. |
| NO. 5 | 250 | 7,000 10,000 (24 hrs.) | Solely for process | 200 yds. (Docks) | Taken from hose over water softener | 60.0 | 99.0 | 0.0816 | 0.0060 | 0.04 | slight trace | 0.112 | Slightly cloudy | 0 | 2 | of soil origin Probable number=25 Intermediate Type II. present in 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. | Present in 10 c.c. |
| NO. 6 | 200 | 1,250 | Solely for process | 60 feet | Taken from by-pass to boilers | 58.22 | 96.06 | 0.0252 | 0.0092 | 0.1 | trace | 0.128 | Slightly cloudy and a deposit of rust | 608 | 648 | Probable number=350 Intermediate Type I present in 100 c.c. in association with Ps. pyocyaneus | Absent from 100 c.c. | Present in 10 c.c. |
| NO. 7 | 240 | 3,000 | Cooling purposes only | ¾ mile | Taken from tap in engine room on rising main | 3.36 | 5.54 | 0.0119 | 0.0083 | 0.33 | Nil | 0.082 | Clear and Bright | 0 | 1 air borne— contaminant | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. |
| NO. 8 | 425 | 2,000 | Solely for process | 100 yds. (Dock) | Taken from pipe on top of pump in yard | 20.14 | 33.23 | 0.1214 | 0.0068 | Nil | Nil | 0.042 | Faintly cloudy | 0 | 0 | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. |
| NO. 9 | 200 | – | Only used in an emergency | ½ mile | Taken from hose connected directly on Electric Pump | 17.00 | 28.05 | 0.1457 | 0.0111 | 0.04 | Nil | 0.080 | Cloudy and definitely yellow, due to iron | 1 | 1 | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. | Absent from 100 c.c. |