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
Kensington 1882
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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162
water was thus but little removed from its freezing point in winter, whilst its
high temperature in summer rendered it vapid and unpalatable.
The deep-well water sent out by the Kent Company varied in temperature
from 43°.7 in December to 61°.2 in July (range 17°.5), whilst that of the Colne
Valley Company maintained a constant temperature of 52°.0 Fahr. throughout
the year.
The transparency or otherwise of water is ascertained by its appearance in a tube two feet in length, and is expressed in arbitrary terms settled by common agreement, as in the following table, which shows the degree of efficiency of filtration of Thames water as supplied by the Companies in this parish, the examinations being made monthly
| Name of Company. | When clear and transparent. | Number of Occasions. | When very turbid. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When slightly tnrbid. | Wnen turbid, | |||
| Chelsea | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| West Middlesex | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Grand Junction | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
The deep-well waters were clear and transparent on every occasion save one.
When examined under the microscope the sediment deposited by turbid water,
on standing, is generally found to contain living and moving organisms.
During the year these organisms were not observed in the water on any
occasion. The annexed table shows the results of such microscopic examin.
The annexed table shows the results of such microscopic examinations during the past thirteen years:—
| Name of Company. | Number of occasions when living organisms were found. | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869 | 1870 | 1871 | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 187li | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | |
| Chelsea | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| West Middlesex | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Grand Junction | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
The subjoined table shows the annual averages of each determination, and
thus summarises the average results of the analysis of the waters supplied by
the local Companies during the year; the Kent Company's water being taken
as a standard for comparison.
The numbers in this table relate to 100,000 parts of the waters, but may be converted into grains per imperial gallon by multiplying them by 7 and then moving the decimal point one place to the left.
| Name ofComfany. | Temoerature in Centigrade Degrees. | Total Solid Impurity. | Organic Carbon. | Organic Nitrogen. | Ammonia. | Nitrogen as Nitrates and Nitrites. | Total combined Nitrogen. | Chlorine. | Total Hardness. | rroportional amount of organic Elements, that in the Kent Company's Water during the 9 years ending Dec., /1876, being taken as 1. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 11-7 | 27.51 | •199 | •041 | •ooo | •165 | •206 | 15 | 20.4 | 41 |
| West Middlesex | 13.0 | 27.88 | •039 | •000 | •184 | •223 | 1.5 | 201 | 4.5 | |
| Grand Junction | 120 | 28.70 | •205 | •036 | .000 | 189 | 1.5 | 20.7 | 41 | |
| Kent | 4291 | •077 | 015 | •000 | •428 | •443 | 28.5 | 1.5 |