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23
Water
Supply.
The Thames water with which this District is supplied
for drinking purposes, was somewhat freer
from organic matter than the average. Attention may he
called however, to Dr. Frankland's weighty remarks in his
annual report to the Registrar-General on the Metropolitan
Water Supply. "A small proportion of the solid matter,
however, is always organic in nature, and this, although quite
insignificant as regards its absolute amount, is yet of the
greatest importance when its possible origin is taken into
consideration. It must be borne in mind that the rivers
Thames and Lea necessarily receive above the intakes of the
Metropolitan Companies a certain amount of animal matter
derived partly from sewers, cesspools, and sewage works, and
partly from manured land. Such animal substances may at
any time be accompanied by matters capable of producing
zymotic disease, and although the treatment which the water
subsequently receives at the hands of the Water Companies
is calculated greatly to diminish the risk of such morbific
matter reaching the consumer, its entire removal is not guaranteed.
It is therefore satisfactory to know that most of the
companies drawing their supplies from these rivers are making
serious efforts to diminish the volume of water taken
directly from the streams. It is desirable, however, that this
action of the water companies should be supplemented by the
enforcement of the laws prohibiting the discharge of sewage
into the Thames and Lea."
A large part of the District still receives but an intermittent
supply of water, and there can be no doubt that this is the
cause of serious danger to health and actual disease. We
hope that when our next annual report is issued, it will be
possible to chronicle a considerable extension of the constant
system of supply.
Meteorology
of the Year.
The general characters of the climate during
1886, may be gathered from Table XV. The
mean temperature of the third quarter was 0°7 Fahr. above
the average of 45 years, and the rainfall for the same period
2*43 inches below the average of 72 years. In accordance
with these facts, one finds that the annual mortality from
Diarrhoea in this District was 230, as compared with 193 in
the previous year.