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26
MORTUARY.
Particulars of the mortuary are contained in the Annual
Report for 1934.
160 bodies were received during the year. Post-mortem examinations
were carried out on 100, and 46 inquests were held.
44 bodies were admitted for storage and 16 bodies of persons
dying from accident or suicide on whom no post-mortem examination
was carried out in the mortuary.
SWIMMING BATHS.
Particulars of the two swimming baths were given in the
Annual Report for 1934.
Daily tests are carried out for the presence of free chlorine and
for the pH value, while periodical samples are submitted for complete
chemical and bacteriological analysis. Those of the water
at the Christchurch Avenue Bath were, on the whole, satisfactory.
A sample in June gave 1,100 organisms per c.c. on agar at 20° C.,
though B.Coli and B.Welchii were absent in 100 c.c. and the
water contained 0.25 parts per million of free chlorine. Chemically
both the free and albuminoid ammonia content were low, as was
also the oxygen absorption figure. A sample in August again
showed an excessive number of organisms, B.Coli being present
in 50 c.c. in spite of there being 0.2 parts per million of free chlorine.
The water was of a satisfactory degree of organic purity. The
results of the analysis indicated insufficient sterilization. The next
sample, however, proved entirely satisfactory: "this is a clear and
bright water of normal colour and faint earthy odour. The water
contains no excess of saline matter, is of neutral re-action, contains
a minute trace of free chlorine and is of a satisfactory degree of
organic quality. Bacteriologically it is of a very high degree of
purity. It is a clean water, suitable and safe for swimming bath
purposes."
The analyses of the water at the Charles Crescent baths,
however, showed that the purification processes were insufficient
to maintain the requisite standard of purity. The chemical analysis
of a sample taken in June showed evidence of contamination by
bathers, while it contained 1,200 organisms per c.c. and no free
chlorine. The analysis of a sample in July gave figures of 0.0880 of
free and 0.0560 albuminoid ammonia and an oxygen absorption
figure of 0.095. Bacteriologically this pollution by bathers was
masked by the chlorination, free chlorine being present and the
total bacterial count being only 110 organisms per c.c. The next
sample again showed the effects of pollution by bathers, giving high
figures for free and albuminoid ammonia and oxygen absorption.
There was no free chlorine present on this occasion and the
bacterial count showed the presence of 3,100 organisms per c.c.