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In addition, 147 certificates were accepted from other authorities, hospitals
and private ophthalmologists as follows:—
Blind persons 145 (65 male, 80 female)
Not blind persons 2 (male)
The number of partially sighted persons, excluding children, recommended for
inclusion in the Observation Register was 116 (41 male, 75 female).
Registration of nursing homes
At the end of the year 62 nursing homes on the register were functioning compared
with 63 registered homes open at the end of 1947. Four new registrations of
homes took place and 5 homes were closed during the year. Thirty exemptions from
the operation of Part XI of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936 were granted.
The general standard was reasonably maintained.
Chemical branch
The work of the branch was carried on during the year at the three laboratories,
at County Hall and the Northern and Southern Outfall works, and Mr. C. J. Regan,
the Chemist-in-Chief, has submitted the following report
The age in which we live has been called the "Scientific Age" and research in
every branch of science has advanced in recent years in a kind of geometrical
progression. The creative science of chemistry, like the creative arts, calls for the
constant cultivation and exercise of the imagination and the increasing need for this
in the chemical service of the London County Council has been made evident by the
constantly widening range of the problems put to it by many departments. The
amount of consultative, advisory and committee duties continued to increase in 1948
as did also the ordinary analytical and testing work. Much of the first type did not
entail the actual examination of samples the list of which for 1948 is shown below.
The total number examined was 21,400, compared with 20,498 in 1947.
Air of tunnels, etc. 288 Metals 41
Bacteriological, miscellaneous 26 Milk, liquid, condensed, dried 290
Building materials 213 Miscellaneous 159
Chemicals, drugs and medical supplies 165 Oils, lubricating, fuel, etc. 80
Paints, varnishes and distempers 1,171
Clays and sub-soils, etc. 220 Petroleum and allied samples 144
Compost (manurial use), etc. 26 Rain water (atmospheric pollution) 84
Detergents 25 Rubber and substitutes 7
Disinfectants 7 Sewage and effluent 3,254
Explosives, fireworks, etc. 36 Sludge, primary and digested 1,968
Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs 121 Sludge, activated 1,277
Floor oils and polishes 21 Sulphur gases and smoke in air 1,790
Fuel (coal and coke) 40 Water, steam raising plants 1,932
Foods, etc— 478 Water, drinking 2,169
Gases, dry cleaners, flue, etc. 94 Water, river 3,379
Gases, sludge digestion plant 285 Water, swimming bath 656
Insecticides 12 Water, miscellaneous 52
Lamps, gas detector 344
Liquor, effluent from gas works 359 Total 21,400
Meals and vitamin assays 187
The following paragraphs give a general indication of the source of origin of
these samples and of the consultative and advisory duties carried out for the various
services. The work done has been sectionalised in this way as far as possible but in
several instances the same type of work was performed for several departments, so
that, for example, the paragraph on steam raising, etc., plants had to be included
under this general heading.
Housing
Another considerable increase occurred in 1948 in the amount of work done for
this service, particularly in regard to paints and other protective coatings. The