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39
Although the main effect was in the London area the fog was more
or less countrywide, as evidenced by the stations which keep observation
on the amount of smoke in the atmosphere. There are 87 of these stations
in England, Scotland and Wales, but only 62 of these also have records
for December, 1951 which could be used for comparative purposes,
and these stations are spread rather unevenly over the whole area;
for example there are six in London, two each in Middlesex and Essex
and one each in Surrey and Kent, making 12 for greater London,
whereas there are 24 in Yorkshire, 6 in Lancashire, 5 in Scotland,
with the others even more scattered.
Assuming that double the 1951 smoke pollution can be regarded
as a measure of fog, it can be said that this fog started on December 2
when 6 stations in Yorkshire, 5 in Lancashire, 1 in Middlesex and
8 elsewhere gave such figures; one of the Lancashire stations being
over four times the normal. On December 3 and December 4 the
number of stations showing abnormality remained much the same
except that one of the Lancashire stations showed 5 times the normal,
and one Glasgow station showed 6 times the normal. There was a sudden
increase on December 5, when 19 Yorkshire stations were involved, all
6 of the London stations, 5 of the 6 Lancashire stations and 17 stations
scattered elsewhere. One of the Lancashire stations showed 7 times the
normal, one of the London stations showed 6 times and two 5 times
the normal. On December 6 rather similar conditions prevailed over
the country, but London and greater London were more affected in
degree and the rest of the country slightly less affected. In London
one station showed 9 times the normal, one 8 times, one 7 times and
one 5. On December 7, 8 and 9 the fog gradually disappeared from
the rest of the country, but only on the lastnamed day did it begin to
clear in London. On December 7 and 8 one London station recorded
over 10 times the normal amount of smoke, and even on December 9
one London station had 8 times the normal. On December 10 only one
station in the whole country had an abnormal amount and that was in
the Yorkshire area.
Smoke pollution has been detailed here as it is the most likely cause
of fog. Smoke by itself however is not likely to cause sudden death, or
even quick death, the much more likely cause of this being the irritant,
choking effect of oxides of sulphur. These accompany smoke pollution
and run a parallel course, the graph of one being very similar to that
of the other. As far as London is concerned therefore the figures given
above for smoke pollution can be taken to indicate also the more
deadly oxides of sulphur in the atmosphere at the time.
There were some unexplained paradoxes in connection with the
fog. Thus the effect on animals varied greatly. Many cattle died at the
Smithfield show during a previous great fog in 1873 and something
similar happened this time ; five cattle dying and nine others being
slaughtered because of illness, and over 100 requiring treatment; yet
it appears that the sheep and pigs escaped ill effects. It is suggested that
this might be due to them being penned on the first floor, and because