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
Hanover Square 1861
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hanover Square, The Vestry of the Parish of Saint George]
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32
Extract from the Report to the Vestry.
During March, thirty-five observations were made on
the illuminating power and quality of the gas supplied by
the preceding companies.
The cannel gas was burned in a batswing burner at
the rate of five cubic feet an hour, while the common gas
was consumed in an Argand burner at the same rate,
with a seven-inch chimney, according to the Act.
The monthly average light in sperm candles was above that required by the Metropolis Gas Act, as will be seen by the following table.
| Chartered. | London. | Equitable. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannel | 27.54 | 22.7 | 22.9 |
| Common | 13.62 | 14.57 | 15.36 |
With respect to the purity, all the gases were free
from sulphuretted hydrogen, and those supplied by the
Chartered and Equitable Companies were so far free from
ammonia, that they did not discolour turmeric paper; but
the common gas from the London Company presented
traces of it.
A table was annexed to the report, containing the
number of examinations on which it was founded, with
the maximum, minimum, weekly, and monthly average
illuminating power, and the dates of the experiments.