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

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London County Council 1898

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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80
been selected. In Camberwell, 300 bodies were removed to the mortuary. In Woolwich, 67 bodies
were received into the mortuary. In Flumstead, the mortuary was used for 38 bodies. The medical
officer of health states that "the new mortuary has not been commenced, but I understand that
plans are being prepared."
Sunlight in Streets.
The discovery of the influence of sunlight upon certain pathogenic organisms has in recent
years led to greater recognition of the importance of securing the admission of the direct rays of the
sun into streets and houses. The extent to which sunlight can enter a house situated in a street
depends upon the aspect of the house, the freedom of the sun's rays from obstruction, and varies at
different seasons of the year.
In my annual report for the year 1892, when discussing the London building law, I published
a table showing the width of streets in the latitude of London necessary to secure one to four hours of
sunlight upon houses forty feet high situated in meridional streets and in streets making angles of 5°
to 20° with the meridian at the winter solstice and autumnal equinox.
The following table is an extension of the table published in 1892. In the new table the hours
of sunlight have been extended to six, and the angles of inclination to the meridian have been extended
to 90°. The figures for the summer solstice are also given.
Tables showing the width of street required to allow of one to six hours sunlight on houses 40 feet high
situate in meridional streets and, in streets inclined to the meridian at certain angles, in the latitude
of London, at the summer and winter solstices and the vernal or autumnal equinox.

Winter solstice—21 st December.

No. of hours sunlight.Meridional streets.Angle of inclination of street to the meridian.
10°15°20°25°30°35°40°45°50°55°60°65°70°75°80°85°90°
1 hour19.832.845.658.170.181.592.4102.5111.9120.4128.0134.6140.2144.7148.2150.5151.6151.6150.5
2 hours41.855.368.380.892.7103.9114.3123.8132.4140.0146.5151.9156.1159.2161.0161.6161.0159.2156.1
3 „69.183.497.1110.0122.1133.2143.3152.41603166.9172.3176.4179.1180.5180.5179.1176.4172.3166.9
4 „107.4123.2138.1151.9164.5175.9I86.0194.7201.8207.5211.5214.0214.8214.0211.5207.5201.8194.7186.0
5 „170.0188.7205.9221.6235.6247.7258.0266.4272.7276.9279.0279.0276.9272.7266.4258.0247.7235.6221.6
6 „304.9330.3353.2373.4390.8405.2416.5424.6429.5431.2429.5424.6416.5405.2390.8373.4353.2330.3304.9

Autumnal or vernal equinox.

1 hour6.611.015.319.523.527.431.034.437.640.443.045.247.148.649.850.550.950.950.5
2 hours13.818.222.526.630.534.237640.743.546.048.249.951.352.352.953.152.952.351.3
3 „21.826.330.634.638.441.945148.050.452.554.255.556.456.856.856.455.554.252.5
4 „31.235.840.244.247.951.254.156.658.760.461.662.362.562.361.660.458.756.654.1
5 „42.947.651.955.959.462.565067168.769.870.370.369.868.767.165.062.559.455.9
6 „57.762.566.870.773.976.778880.381.381.681.380.378.876.773.970.766.862.557.7

Water Supply.
The water examiner under the Metropolis Water Acts reports that the cahracter of the seasons
during the year was, on the whole, favourable for the operations of the companies which derive
their supplies from the rivers Thames and Lea. The Thames water was in good condition during
327 days, moderately discoloured and turbid during 24 days, and exceptionally muddy and turbid on
14 days of the year," and he adds " The fact that the impurity of the water in the rivers is so largely
increased during perioda of flood, renders it of great importance that there should be sufficient provision
of subsidence and storage reservoirs to enable the necessary daily supplies to be delivered
during such periods while keeping the intakes closed." With respect to filtration he says " The
area of the available filters should also be sufficiently large to enable the necessary supply to be
collected when the passage of the water through the material is sufficiently slow to effectively filter the
worst wTater which circumstances may render it necessary to deal with." The following details are

Summer solstice—21 st June.

1 hour2.84.76.68.410.111713.314.716 117.318.419.420.220.821.321.621.821.821.6
2 hours6.18.09.911.713.415.016.517.919.220.321.222.022.623.023.323.423.323.022.6
3 „9.912.013.915.817.519.120.621.923.024.024.725.325.725.925.925.725.324.724.0
4 „14.716.818.920.822.524.025.426.627.628.428.929.229.429.228.928.427.626.625.4
5 „20.522.824.926.728.429.931.232.232.933.433.733.733.432.932.231.229.928.426.7
6 „27.629.932.033.835.436.737.738.538.939.138.938.537.736.735.433.832.029.927.6