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52
THE WINTER OF 1952-53.
From a health point of view the past winter must be regarded
as one of the worst within living memory. The thick, smoke-laden,
five-day fog in the early part of December, the widespread outbreak
of influenza that raged for two-and-a-half months, and
the disastrous tempest and floods at the end of January—these
have combined to kill and incapacitate the population to an
alarming degree.
Week after week visibility was reduced by mist and fog, so that
we could not see the moon by night nor yet the sun by day; and
amid the encircling gloom there appeared in our midst a widespread
epidemic of influenza—with its sequel, post-influenzal depression.
Atmospheric Pollution and Fog.
During five days, from 5th to 9th December (inclusive), Leyton
and the greater part of Metropolitan London was enveloped in a thick,
smoke-laden fog. The meteorological conditions at the time
showed a high barometric pressure, low ground temperature and
high relative humidity.
The amount of atmospheric pollution in Leyton during the
month of December 1952 was the highest recorded at any time since
daily observations were begun in this Department in March, 1950.
The maximum pollution occurred during the period of fog from
Friday, 5th December to Monday, 8th December. The highest
concentration was recorded during the 24 hours beginning noon
on Monday, 8th December, when the amount of smoke was 219.5
milligrams per 100 cubic metres, and the amount of sulphur dioxide
64.0 parts per 100 million. These records of atmospheric pollution
are about six times as high as the normal to be expected at that
time of year.
Figures are not available of the number of cattle that died
from respiratory embarrassment during the fog, but it is known
that at least 11 had to be slaughtered at Smithfield Fat Stock Show
at the request of their owners.
There was a spectacular rise in deaths of Leyton residents during
the week ended 13th December. In 1952 Leyton deaths during
that week numbered 130, compared with an average of 44 deaths
for the same week in each of the previous four years.