London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St Giles (Camden) 1858
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Giles District]
This page requires JavaScript
30
I take this opportunity of making my acknowledgments to the Board of
Directors, for their acquiescence in my proposal, and of assuring them that the
facilities for obtaining information, peculiar to the Medical Officer of Health, shall be
very much at their service.
The following analyses of water, made during the year, may be added to
those given in a former annual report.
The water from the pump in King's Arms Yard, supplied from the New River Company, but believed to be contaminated from the position of the tank underground, was analysed in March, 1859, with the following result. For the sake of comparison 1 have given the mean of two analyses of the same Company's water made bv Dr. R. D. Thomson in December and January:—
| Water of New River. | Hardness ° or grains per gallon. | Solid Impurities, grains per gallon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary | Permanent. | Total. | Organic. | Inorganic. | Total. | |
| King's Arms Yard tank | 8.1 | 6.5 | 140.6 | 1.76 | 19.44 | 21.20 |
| Mean of samples examined by Dr. R. D. Thomson | — | — | — | 1.66 | 19.28 | 20.94 |
Hence the inference was, that in spite of its objectionable situation, the water of this
tank had not become notably contaminated.
Two of the public pumps of the district, have, on my advice, been closed
for all purposes but watering the roads; they are the pumps in Denmark Street, near
St. Giles's Church, and that in Broad Street. Former analysis of these waters had
shown their great impurity, and in March last, the wells not having been used during
the winter, the impurities were found to have accumulated. On opening the wells for
watering the roads, in the spring, it was a question whether the water was good enough
for this purpose. That of both wells was offensive to the smell, and in Broad Street
was of a deep olive-green colour, from the abundance of vegetable life. On analysis, this
latter well-water yielded 10.12 grs. organic; 96.12 grs. inorganic; total 106.24grs. of
solid impurity per gallon, including the suspended and dissolved portions together.
Facts such as these continually presenting themselves, in corroboration of
the opinion formerly expressed of the unfitness of these well waters for internal use,
induced the Sanitary Committee, at their meeting in March, 1859, to give their
active sympathy to the movement in favour of the erection of Free Drinking
Fountains in the metropolis. This Committee instructed the Medical Officer of Health
and the Surveyor, to prepare a report on the most appropriate sites for such fountains,
and on the best mode of supplying them with pure water.
Though not strictly within the year which it is now my business to consider,
it may be stated that such a report has been presented, and that the Board have decided
to adopt its main suggestions. The munificence of individuals, the co-operation of the
Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountains' Association, and the honest ardour of working
men in aiding the cause, are matters too pleasant for their record to be delayed. In
these various ways, there will be borne a very large share of the cost of establishing
Free Drinking Fountains in St. Giles's.