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
Erith 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Erith]
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32
D (5)d Drainage, Closet accommodation and Cesspools
The water carriage system has predominated in the Borough
for many years, and sewerage is disposed of at the
outfall vested in the West Kent Main Sewerage Board. Of
cesspools, 21 are known to exist and these are subject to
cleansing service by resolution of the Council dated 10th
March, 1942.
Sewers have been extended to take the drainage of newly
erected Corporation property on the Lesney Farm Estate,
and at Hurst Place.
D (5)e Atmospheric Pollution
Results of Analysis
(a) The Erith Borough Council is represented on the Thameside Advisory Committee for the Abatement of Atmospheric Pollution. In connection therewith, a deposit gauge and a lead peroxide gauge is in situ at the grounds of the Royal Alfred Institution and the analyses of the contents of gauges for 1955 are declared as follows:—
| Month | Rain in inches Monthly deposit | Insoluble deposit Tons per sq. mile | Soluble deposit Tons per sq mile | Total Solids Tons per sq. mile | Calcium Tons per sq. mile | Sulphur mg/100 sq cms/day (Gauge set up in July) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Gauge disturbed-No anaysis | |||||
| February | 1 29 | 11.00 | 7.84 | 18.84 | 1.47 | - |
| March | 0.92 | 13.3 | 8.50 | 22.23 | 1.70 | - |
| April | 0.70 | 8.21 | 6.44 | 14.65 | 1.17 | - |
| May | 3.81 | 10.34 | 8.50 | 18.84 | 1.20 | - |
| June | 2.54 | 9.77 | 15.01 | 24.78 | 2.40 | - |
| July | 0.03 | 13.46 | 9.20 | 22.06 | 1.73 | 0.82 |
| August | 0.90 | 15.04 | 10.27 | 25.31 | 2.10 | 1.01 |
| September | 2.41 | 9.79 | 5.94 | 15.73 | 0.13 | 1.59 |
| October | 3.29 | 11.27 | 10.81 | 22.08 | 1.33 | 2.71 |
| november | 0.47 | 13.69 | 5.50 | 19.19 | 1.03 | 2.58 |
| December | 1.65 | 9.17 | 8.20 | 17.37 | 1.47 | 2.41 |
(b) Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers announced
on 2nd November that, as a result of reasearch and
technical investigation conducted by this organisation over
a long period, it was proposed to instal equipment which
would effectively counteract any dust emission which might
be attributable to the Bevans Works at Northfleet. These
Proposals are said to involve a capital expenditure of
£500,000 and include the construction of the most modern
type of electrostatic precipitators.
(c) The further proposed conversion of 2,000 London
Area trolley buses to diesel engines is a project which will