London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Barking 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]
This page requires JavaScript
4
Natural and Social Conditions of the District.
The physical features and general characters have been
described in previous reports and need not be reiterated, though
the fact that the district possesses a waterway suitable for barge
traffic, and vacant land on which factories can be built, does
not seem to have the influence on industrial growth that might
have been expected.
The climatic conditions as indicated by the rainfall are as follows:—
| 1909. | 1910. | 1911. | 1912. | 1913. | 1914. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | .71 | 1.44 | 1.07 | 3.16 | 2.48 | .53 |
| February | .74 | 2.26 | .99 | 1.46 | .59 | 2.5 |
| March | 2.77 | .87 | 1.37 | 2.09 | 1.76 | 3.13 |
| April | 1.56 | 1.45 | 1.40 | .05 | 1.99 | .7 |
| May | 1.36 | 2.01 | .80 | .90 | 1.30 | 1.96 |
| June | 2.55 | 1.92 | 1.90 | 2.49 | .33 | 1.52 |
| July | 2.94 | 2.37 | .39 | 1.16 | 2.02 | 1.37 |
| August | 1.66 | 1.93 | .62 | 3.88 | 1.94 | .72 |
| September | 1.90 | .82 | 1.39 | 2.01 | 1.33 | .52 |
| October | 3.86 | 1.92 | 3.16 | 1.55 | 3.46 | 1.1 |
| November | .84 | 3.00 | 3.03 | 1.43 | 2.49 | 1.38 |
| December | 2.58 | 2.77 | 3.47 | 2.19 | 1.66 | 4.85 |
| Total | 23.47 | 22.70 | 19.59 | 22.37 | 21.35 | 20.28 |
The mean temperature during the summer was above the
average, though the main features of the year were the dry
autumn and extremely wet December. The gross effect on the
health of the Town was not unfavourable.