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
Holborn 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]
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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 1957:—
Concentration ot 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 | 0.33 | 0.77 | 0.16 | 0.24 | 0.52 | 0.07 |
| February | 0.41 | 0.72 | 0.17 | 0.32 | 0.67 | 0.14 |
| March | 0.37 | 0.71 | 0.12 | 0.33 | 0.81 | 0.15 |
| April | 0.28 | 0.58 | 0.11 | 0.25 | 0.66 | 0.08 |
| May | 0.13 | 0.20 | 0.07 | 0.17 | 0.31 | 0.04 |
| June | 0.13 | 0.25 | 0.08 | 0.13 | 0.23 | 0.06 |
| July | 0.12 | 0.21 | 0.08 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 0.06 |
| August | 0.13 | 0.30 | 0.06 | — | — | — |
| September | 0.15 | 0.24 | 0.10 | 0.19 | 0.50 | 0.04 |
| October | 0.31 | 0.78 | 0.13 | 0.29 | 0.53 | 0.15 |
| November | 0.30 | 0.59 | 0.14 | 0.29 | 0.63 | 0.12 |
| December | 0.47 | 1.22 | 0.16 | 0.51 | 1.94 | 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 1957 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.
Holborn Smoke Control Area No. 1
On the 24th April, 1957, the Council agreed in principle that the whole of the Borough
should ultimately become a smoke control area at some future date, and on the 23rd
October, 1957, it approved and adopted the recommendations of the Public Health
Committee that as the initial stage in achieving this object steps should be taken to create
such an area in the south-eastern portion of the Borough. The area to be known as
Holborn Smoke Control Area No. 1, is that portion of the Borough enclosed by the
boundaries of the City of London and City of Westminster and a line drawn westwards
from the City of London boundary at Staple Inn, Holborn, along High Holborn to
Kingsway, southwards along Kingsway to Great Queen Street and along the southern
side of Great Queen Street to the boundary with the City of Westminster.
A preliminary survey was made of the area and details were submitted to the Minister
of Housing and Local Government for his observations. In February, 1958, the Minister
gave provisional approval to the proposals, and a detailed survey is now in progress.