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

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St Pancras 1891

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]

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33
under this section, except under the direction of a Sanitary Authority. By
Sections 100 and 101 of the Act, if the Sanitary Authority make default in
enforcing these provisions, the County Council may substitute the necessary proceedings
at the cost of the Sanitary Authority, or proceedings may be taken
against the Sanitary Authority.
By Section 24 of the Act it is further provided that any fireplace or furnace
which does not, as far as practicable, consume the smoke arising from the
combustible used therein, and which is used for working engines by steam, or in
any mill, factory, dye-house, brewery, bakehouse, or gas-work, or in any manufacturing
or trade process whatsoever ; and any chimney (not being the chimney of a
private dwelling-house) sending forth black smoke in such quantity as to be a
nuisance; shall be nuisances liable to be dealt with summarily under the Act and
the provisions of this Act relating to those nuisances shall apply accordingly;
provided that the Court hearing a complaint against a person in respect of a
nuisance arising from a fireplace or furnace which does not consume the smoke
arising from the combustible used iu such fireplace or furnace, shall hold that no
nuisance is created, and dismiss the complaint, if satisfied that such fireplace or
furnace is constructed in such manner as to consume as far as practicable, having
regard to the nature of the manufacture or trade, all smoke arising therefrom, and
that such fireplace or furnace has been carefully attended to by the person having
charge thereof.
In order to carry out these Sections of the Act, your Sanitary Inspectors have
been provided with Standard diagrams of smoke shades, and with detailed
instructions.
In recording obervations of smoke the following points must be stated:—
1. Date and time of day.
2. Situation of chimney.
3. Kind of sky or background against which the smoke is seen issuing.
4. The density and variations in the density of the smoke, according
to the numbers on the " diagram of smoke shades.''
5. The duration in minutes of the prevalence of each particular shade of
density.
Note.—(a) Distinguish smoke from steam, or steam and smoke mixed.
(b) If the density and duration of the smoke be sufficient to constitute a marked nuisance do not
fail to enquire who has oharge of the furnace at the time.
If at any time a marked nuisance be proved to arise from any furnace chimney,
I would recommend that the report of an engineer upon the construction of the
furnace be obtained previous to taking proceedings.
The Regent's Canal is still under the consideration of your Health Committee,
the points receiving attention being cleansing, and the prevention of stagnation
generally, but in particular the scavenging of the surface two or three times a week,
the scavenging of the bottom annually, and the construction of an overflow in the
Cumberland Basin, at the end of the dead arm. These recommendations have been
repeatedly made for some years past.