Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]
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138
Wandsworth
and Putney Gas
Company.
Illuminating
Power.
Sulphur.
Appendix "B."
General Report on Testing of Gas supplied to the Wandsworth
Borough Council (i) by the Wandsworth and
Putney Gas Company; (2) by the Mitcham and Wimbledon
Gas Company, for the year ended 31ST March, 1908.
Some changes have occurred in the mode of testing the gas
supplied by this Company during the year ended
31st March, 1908. Up to June 30th, 1907, the daily
tests were continued as heretofore, but by a resolution
of the Council in March, 1907, I was directed to make tests,
from July ist onwards, on two days each week at irregular
intervals, with an extra test when deemed desirable. This I have
done, and the averages of illuminating power and sulphur, given
in Table I., are calculated from such tests on and after July ist,
1907.
It will be seen from Table I. that the average illuminating
power for the year ended 31st March, 1908, was
14.9 candles. This is very slightly higher than the
average for the preceding period, 1906-07 (14.7 candles), but lower
than the averages for the corresponding periods, 1904-05 and
1905-06, which were i5.2 and 15.5 candles respectively. The illuminating
power has, however, been fairly uniform during this last
period, that is to say, there has been comparatively little difference
in the averages from month to month, although from test to test
there was a greater irregularity as will be seen in the curve which
I have constructed from the weekly averages (see Table III.).
The standard illuminating power of the gas supplied by this Company
is 14.0 candles. On no occasion has the gas been below this
standard.
Since the passing of the Removal of Sulphur Restrictions Act
of 1906, no definite limit has been imposed as to the
amount of sulphur impurities, other than sulphuretted
hydrogen, which might be present in the gas supplied
by this Company, although it was generally understood that, in
the absence of lime purification, the limit should not appreciably