View report page

91
It is with pleasure that I have noted how popular the stretch of open land is
with the residents of that area, who in the summer spend most of the warm weekends
sitting about or playing games there.
The children too seem to enjoy the use of the land, by bringing with them
small tents and preparing picnic meals.
The owners of the land have at present made no attempt to prevent this
trespass.
It may be possible for part of the land to be acquired as an open space, and I
commend any such proposal.
13. ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT RADIATION.
Ultra-violet light radiation is measured in Barking at the Barking Hospital.
The apparatus used is that designed by Professor Leonard Hill, known as the
"test by fading" instrument. The biologically active ultra-violet rays are measured
by the fading of a standard solution of acetone and methylene blue.
The figures which have been obtained show that there is a considerable amount
of sunshine in Barking, and the sunshine is biologically active.
14. SCHOOLS.
Thirteen of the seventeen elementary schools are of recent construction and
two are out of date.
It has not been found necessary to close any department of the schools as a
result of infectious disease. In this connection I am at present reviewing the
position with regard to the exclusion of contacts with the commoner infectious
diseases.
During the year forty-one visits were paid by the sanitary inspectors and four
defects discovered in connection with sanitary conveniences. These defects were
dealt with inter-departmentally.