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

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Wandsworth 1907

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]

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140
Mitcham and
Wimbledon
Gas Company.
Illuminating
Power.
Sulphuretted
Hydrogen.
Pressure.
March, 1908, the records seldom exceeding 3.0 inches after
October, 1907.
I wrote later (January 1st, 1908) a general report on the disadvantages
of high pressures, which appeared in the Minutes of
Council of January 15th, 1908, and copies of which were sent to
the Wandsworth and to the Mitcham Gas Companies. I also
referred, in this report, to the effect of varying pressures on
incandescent mantles, as some complaints in this connection had
been received by the Council.
There are also some changes to record in connection with the
testing of the gas supplied by the Mitcham and
Wimbledon Gas Company.
Up to December 31st, 1907, the gas was always
tested at the works of the Company at Mitcham but, in accordance
with the Mitcham and Wimbledon Gas Act (July 4th), 1907,
to which I referred in my report for last year (when the Act was
in the Committee stage), the gas is now tested at a testing-place
at South Wimbledon, and I commenced testing there on January
2nd, 1908. By the new Act the standard illuminating power is
reduced from 15 to 14 candles, the test is made with a bar-photometer,
the burner used is known as the Metropolitan Argand
No. 2, and the standard light is Harcourt's ten-candle pentane
lamp.
These new conditions are somewhat favourable to the Gas
Company, and the illuminating power has been
maintained at a high standard, the average of the
fortnightly tests during January, February, and March, 1908,
being 16.7, while for the whole year it is 16.1 candles with a
minimum of 15.1 candles and a maximum of l7.7 candles. Details
of all tests made are given in Table II.
There was no sulphuretted hydrogen found at any of the
testings during the year ended 31st March, 1908.
Sulphur impurities other than sulphuretted hydrogen
are not estimated.
The pressure has averaged 3'4 inches with a minimum of 3.2
inches and a maximum of 4.6 inches.
H. Wilson Hake, Ph.D.,
Gas Examiner.