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(2) To support an application in respect of a blind person by a local authority
or voluntary agency for grant out of public funds under the Regulations,
for grant for the Welfare of the Blind, or under the Education Act.
(3) To obtain evidence of blindness before the registration of a blind person.
(4) To support an application for assistance to a voluntary agency by a
blind person in respect of whom no grant out of public funds is payable.
Formerly medical certificates were obtained from various sources but the
Council has decided that, in the future, such certificates shall, if necessary, be furnished
by the Council's Medical Officer. Arrangements to this effect have therefore
been made and, during the year, certificates have been furn`ished to two males and
four females who were applicants for the (Blind) Old Age Pension.
Work of the Chemical Branch.
The work of this branch is carried out at four laboratories, viz., the Central
Laboratory at County Hall, and the laboratories at the Northern and Southern
Outfalls and the Greenwich Power Station.
a large proportion of the work carried out here consists of the examination
of samples of stores supplied under contract to the Council's many depots and
stations. Specifications are frequently revised so as to bring them closely into
touch with modern conditions and to ensure that the goods demanded shall, as
nearly as possible, be of the exact description needed. Processes of examination
are adopted in which materials are tested under conditions approximating to those
of use, e.g., paints and enamels are submitted to prolonged exposure, with alternations
of heat and cold, moisture and dryness, in an atmosphere of oxygen for a
month, in order to simulate exposure out of doors.
Central
laboratory
The total number of samples examined in this laboratory during the year
amounted to 5,101 and the following table shows their number and description:—
Paints and Colours 232 Air from tunnels 99
Petroleum and Paraffin 158 Building materials 315
Soaps, Shampoo preparations, etc 45 Disinfectants 19
Rainwater 107 Drugs 19
River waters 518 Feeding stuffs and Fertilisers 21
Boiler waters 232 Foods, groceries, etc 726
Waters from softening plant 159 Meals (school) 11
Water and deposit (bathing lakes) 89 Metals 23
Water (in-leakage) 357 Milk 1,495
Miscellaneous 206 Oils, Greases, etc 244
Among building materials examined may be mentioned two liquids offered as
waterproofing materials for Portland cement. One of these was a solution of calcium
chloride, the other a rather strong solution of caustic potash.
Building
materials.
Methods of testing the fire-resisting qualities of woods used in building, as
detailed in an earlier report, have been developed and are used for the examination
of the many new woods now being introduced from distant parts of the Empire.
Fire-resisting
materials and
appliances.
In connection with fire protection it has been found that fusible links, intended
to effect the automatic closing of ventilators on the outbreak of fire, sometimes
yield only at temperatures much higher than stated. One case, in particular, may
be cited in which a heavy link for controlling a large opening was found to yield
at 180° C., the melting point of a soft solder of two parts to one by weight, the eutectic
alloy of tin and lead. The more easily fusible alloys such as Wood's and Rose's
metals are mixtures of three or four metals. Incidentally it was found that the
melting point of some of these alloys as prepared in the laboratory was higher than
is usually ascribed.
Considerable attention has been given to problems in connection with water
softening, both at County Hall, where the hot water supply is softened previous
to heating, and at main drainage pumping stations. Arrangements based on system16479
e
Water
softening and
steam raising
plant.