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Mass Radiography
Mass radiography is undertaken by the Regional Hospital Boards.
Kensington is included in the area covered by the Mass X-ray Unit No. 5A
operated by the North-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board.
The purpose of mass radiography is twofold :-
(i) to find abnormalities of the chest, and in
particular tuberculosis and cancer of the lungs,
and
(ii) to give those whose x-ray is within "normal
limit" a certain degree of security.
During 1956, the Mass X-ray Unit No. 5A undertook a large scale
mass x-ray operation in Kensington covering a period of approximately two
months. A total of 12,086 persons (5.920 men and 6,166 women) was
examined. Consequently, during 1957, the Mass X-ray Unit 5A was engaged
mainly in other districts; nevertheless, 418 persons were mass x-rayed
at the Royal College of Arts in South Kensington. No active case of
tuberculosis was found and the only abnormality discovered was a case of
sarcoidosis.
Atmospheric Pollution
Clean Air Act, 1956. Only certain provisions of the Clean Air
Act, 1956, which received Royal Assent on 5th July, 1956, came into force
on 31st December, 1956. (The remaining provisions come into operation on
1st June, 1958.) During the year under review, the principal sections
of the Act in force affecting this Council were Sections 3 and 11 to 15.
Section 3 requires that new furnaces, not used mainly for
domestic purposes and exceeding a specified capacity, shall be so far as
is practicable smokeless. Any person installing such a furnace must give
prior notice to the Council and may submit detailed plans and specifications
for approval before the work of installation takes place. Two applications
for approval were received during the year; one in respect of the renewal
of the central heating plant in a large block of flats, and the other in
respect of the installation of a new boiler at a hospital. After due
consideration, both applications were formally approved.
Sections 11 to 15 relate to the declaration by the Council of smoke
control areas, in which the emission of smoke from the chimney of any
building would be an offence. In order to obtain the information needed to
assess the full implications of these sections, a preliminary survey was
made of the Holland Ward of the borough. The survey, which was carried
out by one of the Council's public health inspectors, assisted by two
student inspectors, was commenced in July, 1957> and completed in February,
1958. After consideration of the information obtained, the Council decided
to submit preliminary proposals to the Minister of Housing and Local
Government in respect of a specified area of the Holland Ward, asking for
his approval to proceed with making an official declaration. The Minister
has given his preliminary approval (May, 1958), and the next steps, as
laid down in the Clean Air Act, are being taken at the present time.
Routine measurement of atmospheric pollution
The Council maintain two atmospheric pollution measuring stations
as follows:-
(1) North Kensington (St. Joseph's Convent, Portobello Road)
(2) South Kensington (Messrs. John Barker's Furniture Depository,
Pembroke Road)
The apparatus at each station consists of a standard deposit