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THE PUBLIC MORTUARY.
The dead bodies received into the Public Mortuary in St. Leonard's Church
Yard during 1905 numbered 417, as compared with 460 in 1904. The bodies of three
persons dead of infectious disease were removed to the mortuary by the sanitary
authority, as compared with four in 1904. A specially constructed iron shell is used
at the mortuary for the reception of infectious or decomposing and very offensive
bodies. The inquests held numbered 290, as against 336 in 1904, and the post-mortem
examinations made in the post-mortem room at the mortuary numbered 223, as
compared with 251 for last year. The figures relating to the use of the mortuary in
years previous to 1904 are contained fin the report for 1903.
WATER SUPPLY.
According to the figures contained in the reports of Sir W. Crooks, F.R.S., and
Sir James Dewar, F.R.S., and of Dr. Houston, the Director of Water Examinations to
the Metropolitan Water Board, the rainfall for the year 1905, measured at Oxford,
amounted to a little under 21 inches. Talcing the mean rainfall for 35 years, there was
a deficit of about four inches, the rainfall being approximately 17 per cent. below the
average. Most rain fell in June and least in July, the amounts being 4.15 and 0.16
inches respectively.
Towards the end of March complaint was received as to the colour of the water
supplied to the Haggerston Baths, which are situate in the East London water district.
The water was of an olive green colour, and when viewed in bulk as in the
swimming bath, the coloration was very apparent, and caused persons using the bath
to complain of its dirty appearance. A sample was taken from a tap
direct from the main upon the premises and submitted to the public analyst. His
report was to the effect that the water was of doubtful purity, there being an excess of
vegetable matters, that it resembled the London companies' filtered waters at their
worst, was not a satisfactory water for drinking purposes, and was too highly coloured
for bath use. It soon regained its normal tinge, and no further complaints
were received. In the Autumn of 1903 there was a similar complaint in respect of
the water supplied to the Pitfeld Street baths, which are situate on the New River
area. Doubtless, the coloration of the water was associated with heavy rainfalls,
whiich caused the solution of considerable amounts of vegetable matter. Taking the
monthly reports on the condition of the Metropolitan water supply for 1905 by the
Water Examiner appointed under the Metropolis Water Act, 1871, they shew that on the
whole the waters supplied during the year both on the New River and East London
districts were of good quality, but that of the New River was somewhat superior to
that on the East London. Some of the water supplied on the East London district
during part of March was unsatisfactory in quality, as the following passage from the
Water Examiner's report for that month shews:—
"With regard to the East London supply, all the samples taken in the
districts supplied with filtered Lea water were of good quality; but on the
relatively small area partly supplied with water taken from the Thames at
Sunbury certain samples taken on the 20th and1 21st were found to contain