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with disinfestation, and it is probable that increased measures may have to be
taken in this district in order to reduce the amount of general infestation
present.
No centre for the cleansing of verminous persons or their belongings
has been established by the local authority.
Smoke Abatement.
Forty-three smoke observations were made on chimneys during the year
and no serious infringements were noted. In a few cases the cause of the
nuisance was the improper stoking of the furnaces, and the advice given to
the stokers was effectual in causing an abatement.
The Council during the year decided to make a subscription to the
National Smoke Abatement Society.
Smells and Smoke near Beaconsfield Road.
As mentioned in my report for 1934: a series of experiments was started
at the end of 1934 by Dr. Carter, the Home Office Inspector under the Alkali,
etc., Works Regulations Act, in collaboration with the Health Department in
order to find out the degree of pollution of the atmosphere in different parts
of Southall and especially in the neighbourhood of Beaconsfield Road, from
which area complaints had been received from time to time.
These complaints appeared to be referred to an area south of Beaconsfield
Road and might have been related to a chemical works which is in the vicinity,
or to a gas-works, or to the main railway line. It was decided therefore to
estimate quantitatively the sulphur content of the air at different points in
this neighbourhood and to estimate qualitatively the presence of sulphuretted
hydrogen, since it was thought that one or other of these was the main factor
in the complaints. A wooden apparatus was devised on which porcelain
cylinders covered with a coating of lead peroxide were exposed, at the same
time being sheltered from rain which might wash away part of the material.
Four of these were erected in different parts of the area, and in order
to control the experiment a fifth was erected in the Manor House grounds as
being well away from the suspected area. Each cylinder was removed after
being exposed for a calendar month, and then replaced.
The experiment continued from November, 1934, until July, 1935, but
after the first few months it was considered that sufficient data had been
obtained from three of the stations, and so these three cylinders were moved
to other parts of the area.
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