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
Coulsdon and Purley 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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necessary improvements and repair. A scheme of road widening is also
incorporated in the proposals.
When the works are completed, three useful housing units will be
retained at a cost in the region of £1,140, excluding road charges.
WATER SUPPLY.
As in previous years the water supply of the District was provided
by the Sutton and District Water Company and the East Surrey Water
Company, with a private supply supplementing, as necessary, at Cane
Hill Hospital.
No samples of raw water were taken during the year, but routine
samples were taken for bacteriological and chemical examination of the
treated water. The water companies also supply copies of reports on
samples taken by them. No complaints were received during the year
with regard to the quality or quantity of water supplied by the water
companies, and there were no unsatisfactory samples.
The results of two chemical examinations and two bacteriological
examinations are given below and these are fairly typical of the reports:—
Chemical Analysis.
| Sutton and District Water Company. | East Surrey Water Company. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parts per | Grains per | Parts per | Grains per | |
| 100,000. | Gallon. | 100,000. | Gallon. | |
| Total solids (dried at 180°C.) | 17.0 | 11.9 | 16.0 | 11.2 |
| Combined chlorine (C1) | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| equivalent to Sodium Chloride (Na C1) | 2.8 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 2.0 |
| Nitric nitrogen (Nitrates) | 0.42 | 0.29 | 0.56 | 0.39 |
| Nitrous nitrogen (Nitrites) | a faint trace present | a faint trace present | ||
| Ammoniacal nitrogen | Nil | Nil | 0.0004 | 0.0003 |
| Albuminoid nitrogen | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Oxygen absorbed in 4 hours at 27°C. | 0.002 | 0.001 | 0.003 | 0.002 |
| Lead or Copper | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Temporary hardness ( = to CaC03) | 10.0 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 3.5 |
| Permanent hardness ( do. ) | 3.0 | 2.1 | 4.0 | 2.8 |
| Total hardness ( do. ) | 13.0 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 6.3 |
Bacteriological Examination.
Plate count. Yeastrel agar—
3 days 22°C. aerobically 4 per ml. 2 per ml.
2 days 37°C. aerobically 6 per ml. 2 per ml.
Probable number of coliform bacilli,
MacConkey 2 days, 37°C. 0. per 100 ml. 0. per 100 ml.
There are no private wells in use in the District; all houses are
provided with a mains supply laid into the house, and there are no
standpipes for common use.
The Analyst's reports suggested that the statutory maximum limit
for hardness was exceeded by a small margin on three occasions, but
the method of estimation used exaggerated the degree of hardness, and
was not that required by statute. Forty-five samples were taken and
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