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18 Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
TABLE No. 6.
Total
Impurity
per
Gallon
Total
Impurity
per
Gallon
Organic
Impurity
per
Gallon
Grains
Grains
Grains
DISTILLED WATER
0. 0
DISTILLED WATER
o. 0
0. 0
Carbonate of Lime
19. 6
Lambeth Company—June
16.20
1.30
„ „ September
16.00
0.96
Sulphate of Lime
33.64
„ „ December
I9.60
1.76
Chloride of Magnesia
6.76
„ „ March
19.68
1.68
6. 7
Nitrates of Alkalies
65. 5
16.64
1.76
„ „ September
14.76
0 .96
Insoluble Matter
3. 8
„ ,, December
20-90
2.00
TOTAL
136.0
„ „ arch
20.56
1.48
The establishment of drinking fountains is a great benefit to the community. That
these are becoming so general is a matter of gratulation. This Parish may take some credit
for being, I believe, the second in London to erect one. And this Vestry must feel honoured
in numbering one amongst its members who so liberally contributed towards its erection.
The weather has presented extremes of heat and cold. In the months of April and
May it was warmer than usual. In June there was an average daily excess of temperature
of nearly 3°. The rain-fall for the quarter was slightly above the average. It is stated,
however, that the annual fall is diminishing, and that the deficiency in the last five years is
equal to the average fall of one year. In the quarter of July, August, and September, the
temperature kept still above the average, as also did the rain-fall. The temperature was 3 3°
above the average of the season during 88 years. The heat became excessive in July; during
ten successive days of that month the mean temperature of day and night exceeded 70°, a
thing unprecedented in the annals of observation. In October the weather was severe,
which was followed by a warm week in November, and then the cold set in severely, so that
the temperature fell below the freezing point. December ended unusually warm. At the
beginning of January, and nearly unto the end, the weather was warm, when cold weather
set in and continued to the end of the quarter.*
Towards the close of the year 1859 we were visited by some terrible storms, which
carried desolation into many a home and family, and which strewed our shores with wrecks
and the bodies of the dead, and so fulfilled their work of destruction. But, on the other hand,
we must not be unmindful of the good that was done by thein. They did in their
course visit town and city, village and hamlet, and, " with their besom of brisk pinions,"
sweep outof every road and street, court and alley, the fetid and stagnant miasm brooding there,
whose progeny is disease and death. And who may say to what extent disease has been
prevented ! and who may count up the number of lives saved by their very violence ! Here,
as elsewhere, we have the evil and the good mingled together.
When entering upon the duties of M edical Officer of Health, the work of filling up
the vaults of the parish church was in progress. This was in a short time accomplished, and
in such a manner as must have given satisfaction to all in any measure concerned, whether
officially or having friends and relations resting there. Instead of alleys of unsightly piles
* See Quarterly Returns, by authority of the Registrar General, from which the above is extracted.