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65
to the smoke, some to such gases as the oxides of sulphur. The damage
to buildings is notorious. Not only does smoke damage fabrics, clothes,
curtains and carpets, but by dirtying them causes them to need more
frequent cleansing. Vegetation is injured directly by the action of smoke
on the leaves and indirectly by the action of acids on the soil. Pollution
of the air means more artificial lighting. But smoke has, as well, its most
damaging effect on health. Apart from the dramatic effects of such fogs
as that in London in December, 1952, which caused 4,000 deaths, there
is the persistent and insidious damage from the constant emission of
polluting matter. It was probably the screening of the sun's rays that
accounted for the higher incidence of rickets in industrial areas. It is an
important factor in causing bronchitis, which is one of the plagues of
those living in this country. The acute attack kills 30,000 people a year
and causes the loss of work of 15 or 16 million days. The chronic variety,
unpleasant in itself, is a forerunner of other diseases of the lung. 20,000
people die each year from pneumonia; many of these had previous chest
trouble. Death from pneumonia affecting a previously healthy lung is
rare; the previous damage in these cases often enough was the result of
atmospheric pollution. Then, while it is accepted that cigarette smoking
is so very important a factor in causing cancer of the lung, of the other
factors, the most important is atmospheric pollution. The case for the
householder doing her share is that while most of the grit and the sulphur
oxides come from the industrial chimney, more smoke is produced when
coal is consumed in the domestic grate than when it is burned in other
places. Not only is more produced by the domestic chimney but, as
contrasted with that from the factory chimney, it is let into the air at low
levels, so that its effect is soon felt by those in the immediate surroundings.
In industrial areas, the volume of dark smoke from some industrial
chimneys, and especially where there are many of them, might suggest
that the problem is wholly one of the factory. But even in those districts
that is not the case, and there is much for the householder to do to improve
matters; still less is that the position in an area such as this with its limited
industry. When fires are lighted at about the same time in some 60,000
nouses, quite a lot of smoke is produced, and it is only the householder
who can prevent this.
Industrial Smoke. During the year a survey was made of 45
industrial and other establishments in the district. The eight incinerators
and the 123 boilers and furnaces were inspected. In 40 of the furnaces
coal is used, 50 are fired on coke and 33 are oil fired.
In the following summary these boilers and furnaces have been
grouped according to both me and the type of fuel consumed:—

* Includes boilers using waste as additional fuel.