London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Islington 1866

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Parish of St Mary]

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authority for carrying out the provisions of this Act. We may now
expect that such directions and regulations will be shortly issued by
the Privy Council as they may consider necessary.*
One of the most important matters for the public to attend to is the
condition of their water cisterns, which should be cleansed at short
intervals throughout the summer. One thing is worthy of observation
in the Table showing the results of the analysis of the Metropolitan
waters, namely:—the comparatively high degree of purity of the water
supplied to us by the New River Company, and especially its comparative
freedom from those oxydisable organic matters which are believed
in this country to be, in some way, energetic in propagating choleraic
maladies. It is indeed sad to think, that with water supplied so free
from dangerous elements, our population are so little impressed as they
are with the importance of keeping it free from contamination after its
delivery at their houses.
EDWARD BALLARD, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health.
Vestry Offices,
July 14th,1866.

TABLE A.

Sh o wing the Number of Cases of diseas e generally, and of Bowel Complaints particularly, recorded in the corresponding month for the last six years; and also the total of the deaths from all c a uses, and

from Bowel Complaints.

May.Total Sickness.Total Deaths.Diarrhoea.Dysentery.Cholera.Bowel Complaints. Total.
Cases.Deaths.Cases.Deaths.Cases.Deaths.Cases.Deaths.
186628923511331211113414
18652757367229461223048
18642701310115611157
18633059320114911159
1862255823894771017
186127152431295511346
186021012168422862

TABLE B.

Results of a Special Analysis of the Water supplied by the Metropolitan Water Companies during June, as made and published by the Metropolitan Association of Medical Officers of Health,

Total solid matter per Imperial gallon.Loss by Ignition.Oxydisable Organic Matter.Hardness.
Before Boiling.After Boiling.
Thames Water Companies.grains.grains.grains.degrees.degrees.
Grand Junction18.050.670.6213.53.0
West Middlesex17.020.710.4013.03.0
Southwark and Vauxhall18.120.680.6213.54.0
Chelsea17.730.740.4813.53.5
Lambeth18.600.800.7213.53.0
Other Companies.
Kent28.231.000.0017.58.0
New River16.060.560.1412.03.0
East London17.700.940.2312.54.0

* Since the above was written, a further Order has been put forth, and it is necessary that it should receive
the speedy attention of the Vestry.