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
St Giles (Camden) 1857
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Giles District]
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NEW RIVER WATER.
| Water. | Date of taking. | Hardness. | Solid Impurities.—Grains per Gallon. | Chemical. | Microscopical. (Mr. Jabez Hogg and myself.) | Remarks. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary. | Permanent. | Total. | Inorganic. | Organic. | Total. | |||||
| Government Commission, of 1851. | January, 1851 | — | — | 14.6 | 19.92 | 2.75 | 22.67 | — | — | — |
| Government Commission, of 1856. (Average.) | April, 1856. | 5.6 | 7.8 | 13.4 | 20.81 | .97 | 21.78 | — | December, 1854. Small sediment. Diatomaceæ synedra & navicula. "Infusoria, one river annelid, &c. Sporules and decaying vegetable tissue. | New River Water, not filtered at the period of microscopical examination. |
| 1857. New River Water, as it enters cisterns in St. Giles. | Nov. 12, 1857. | 10.6 | 5.2 | 15.8 | 18.64 | .76 | 19.40 | Some nitric acid. No metallic impurity. | Not a large deposit, but in the dirt & vegetable fibre, conferva: protococcus pluviatis, monads parametria and anguillula fluviatilis. | New River Water, now filtered. |
| 1857. The same, from cistern of 44, Parker Street, not cleaned for four years. (2 analyses) | Nov. 6, 1857. | 10.75 | 4.45 | 15.2 | 18.18 | 2.52 | 21.70 | Some nitric acid. No metallic impurity. | Very large quantity of grit and dirt, infusorial animalcules, Dia-tomaceæ:, navicula, verticella -monads very numerous, pulices, vegetable fibres in large quantity, fungus sporules. | Water opalescent to naked eye. |
| 1857. The same, from pump in Ashlin's Place, (under-ground tank) | Nov. 16, 1857. | 8.1 | 7. 0 | 15.1 | 18.36 | 3.60 | 21.96 | Much nitric acid. Decided traces of iron. | Verv large quantity of dirt, of the Desmidaceæ, closterium;Dia-tomacea:, volvox monads and vibrions, debris of dead infusoria, pieces of vegetable fibre, and husk of barley, siliceoous vegetable hairs. | Water obviously impure, coats a glass on standing. |
| 1858. Same as last: after Tank cleaned. | Feb. 27. | 7.4 | 7.0 | 14.4 | 18.10 | 1.60 | 19.70 | Distinct traces of nitric acid. No iron. | Recent vegetable fibres, a few sporules, and a small quantity of silex. | Bright, with very little deposit. |
| Cistern of 75, Gower Street, taken on same day. | Feb. 27. | 7.7 | 7.0 | 14.7 | — | — | — | — | Bright, and no deposit. | |