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
Paddington 1897
Report on vital statistics and sanitary work for the year 1897
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TABLE 26. Comparison of Analyses of Thames Water and the Water Supplied to Paddington. (From the Registrar-General's Annual Summary.)
| 1897. | Thames (unfiltered water.) | From Mains of | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Middlesex Co. | Grand Junction Co. | ||||
| Temperature (decrees Centi- grade) | mean | 10.4 | 9.8 | 11.6 | |
| max. | 20.0(8)* | 18.1(8)† | 20.8(8) | ||
| min. | 3.8(2) | 6.5(2) | 5.7(2) | ||
| Parts per 100,000 of water. | mean | 29.81 | 27.50 | 29.02 | |
| Total Solids | max. | 34.00(1) | 31.86(1) | 33.14(1) | |
| min. | 27.60(9) | 23.74(7) | 25.32(9) | ||
| mean | 0.274 | 0.159 | 0.162 | ||
| Organic Carbon | max. | 0.602(2) | 0.280(1) | 0.302(2) | |
| min. | 0.158(11) | 0.093(6) | 0.108(6) | ||
| mean | 0.043 | 0.019 | 0.020 | ||
| Orgnnic Nitrogen | max. | 0.0760 | 0.032(1) | 0.031(1) (2) | |
| min. | 0.027(4) | 0.010(9) | 0.011(6) | ||
| mean | 0.009 | — | — | ||
| Ammonia | max. | 0.014(11) | — | — | |
| min. | 0.004(8)(9) | — | — | ||
| mean | 0.223 | 0.223 | 0.251 | ||
| Nitrogen as Nitrites and Nitrates | max. | 0.294(1) | 0.291(2) | 0.321(11) | |
| min. | 0.142(8) | 0.125(8) | 0.136(8) | ||
| mean | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | ||
| Chlorine | max. | 2.0(12) | 1.8 ‡ | 1.9 § | |
| min. | 1.7(2-5) | 1.71 | l.7(2)(4-6) | ||
| Degrees of Hardness | mean | 20.1 | 19.5 | 19.1 | |
| max. | 22.7(1) (4) | 22.7(1) | 23.3(1) | ||
| min. | 16.3(8) | 16.6(8) | 16.9(8) (9) | ||
*The figures shown thus ( ) indicate months of observation, †No record for
September. ‡ 1.8 during Jan., Mar., June, and Aug.-Dec. 1.7 during other
months. § 1.9 during Jan. and Oct.-Dec.