London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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46
WATER SUPPLY.
In a certain number of instances business firms have sunk wells for the purpose
of providing a supply of water for the premises in addition to, or in substitution for,
that supplied by the Metropolitan Water Board. In these cases an analysis is made of
the water obtained from the well. Three such examinations were made during 1914,
and the results are as follows:—
Samples of Deep Well Water examined by the Public Analyst , 1914.
| No. of Sample. | Date of Sampling. | analyst'S report. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free n.h.3 | Alb. n.h 3 | Oxygen absorbed. | Nitrogen as Nitrates. | Chlorine | Total Solids. | Hardness. | Lead, Copper and Zinc. | Remarks. | ||
| All these results are expressed in grains per gallon. | ||||||||||
| 1914. | ||||||||||
| 1 | 12th Jan. | 0.0795 | 0.0035 | 0.028 | Absent | 7.50 | 48.00 | 7¾° | Absent | Characteristic London Deep well water. |
| 2 | „ | 0.0535 | 0.0015 | 0.024 | Absent | 7.55 | 48.00 | 5¼° | Absent | „ |
| 10 | 17th July | 0.0599 | 0.0023 | 0.0288 | Absent | 8.55 | 50.00 | 3¼° | Absent | „ |
THE USE OF INSECTICIDES.
In the early part of the year my attention was directed to certain foreign apples, the
surfaces of which showed some green deposit. I submitted the apples to the Public
Analyst with a request that a chemical examination be made of the material, and was in
due course informed that "the deposit on both the whole and the detached portion of
"an apple contained copper, but arsenic was absent in both cases."
It is probable that the deposit resulted from the use of Copper Sulphate, by means
of a spray, but whether such spray was used as an insecticide during late growth or for
the purpose of preventing the development of fungus after collection I am not in a
position to state.
The use of such substances at a time when the fruit is ready for gathering, and
more so if used after gathering, is one which I cannot regard without apprehension,
and although wiping the deposit from each apple may be a sufficient precaution as far
as relates to this particular wash, the use of more dangerous substances might not be
unattended by risk. To wipe an apple before consumption is not, I fear, a practice
resorted to as largely as could be desired. The circumstances in connection with the
case were reported to the Local Government Board.
CHILDREN'S COUNTRY HOLIDAYS.
As a consequence of the increase of the practice of philanthropic organisations
sending the children of the poorer classes away to the country for a short holiday
during the summer months, the Local Government Board issued a circular letter
dated 25th June, 1914, directing attention to the necessity for in some way controlling
the conditions under which this work is conducted.