London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Holborn 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
31
Daily Measurement of Suspended Matter
During the latter part of 1955 apparatus for making daily estimations of smoke
was installed by the Council at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
Keppel Street, and at the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene, Queen Square.
The apparatus consists mainly of an air pump which draws a known volume of air from
outside and passes it through a white filter paper. The amount of smoke collected is
estimated by comparing the stain on the paper with a calibrated scale of shades. The
following recordings were obtained during 1956:—
Concentration of smoke—milligrammes per cubic metre.
| Month | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine | Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Value | Highest Value | Lowest Value | Average Value | Highest Value | Lowest Value | |
| January | 0.78 | 2.36 | 0.40 | 0.62 | 1.79 | 0.22 |
| February | 0.55 | 1.38 | 0.29 | 0.60 | 0.89 | 0.23 |
| March | 0.45 | 0.90 | 0.26 | 0.47 | 0.81 | 0.22 |
| April | 0.39 | 0.73 | 0.25 | 0.46 | 0.66 | 0.15 |
| May | 0.18 | 0.38 | 0.12 | 0.15 | 0.30 | 0.04 |
| June | 0.18 | 0.28 | 0.08 | 0.13 | 0.23 | 0.04 |
| July | 0.10 | 0.26 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.23 | 0.02 |
| August | 0.13 | 0.26 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.35 | 0.04 |
| September | 0.13 | 0.25 | 0.07 | 0.14 | 0.32 | 0.04 |
| October | 0.37 | 0.93 | 0.07 | 0.34 | 0.81 | 0.13 |
| November | 0.50 | 0.92 | 0.28 | 0.50 | 0.98 | 0.15 |
| December | 0.38 | 0.77 | 0.12 | 0.35 | 0.83 | 0.15 |
Smoke Observation Posts
Since May, 1955 the routine work of dealing with atmospheric pollution has been
augmented by special observations being taken from the roofs of four tall buildings situated
so as to provide a fairly complete view of the Borough. During 1956 these observations
were particularly useful in checking the behaviour of boiler plant installed in the numerous
new buildings which have been erected within the Borough. Most of the new installations
are oil fired however and very little trouble from smoke has been experienced. Nevertheless
wherever it has been considered possible to reduce smoke, even though no offence
has been committed, an investigation has been made and generally an improvement has
been secured.
Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933
This Act, the Poisons Rules, 1952/55, and the Poisons List Order, 1952/55, regulate
the sale of poisons, and every local authority is required to keep a list of persons who are
entitled to sell poisons included in Part II of the Poisons List.
During the year 1956, 34 applications were received for retention on this Council's
list.
Rag Flock and Other Filling Materials Act, 1951
This Act and the Regulations of 1951, require the registration of premises where
specified filling materials are used in connection with certain upholstering and filling
processes, and require premises used for the manufacture or storage of rag flock to be
licensed.
Five premises in the Borough are registered under the Act, but no premises are
licensed for the manufacture or storage of rag flock.