London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Southall 1938

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]

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Canal Boats.
During the year 4 visits were paid to the canal and 57 boats were
inspected. The general condition of the boats and their occupants was
satisfactory. Fifteen notices were sent out, seven being complied with, one
boat being taken out of commission, and there are seven outstanding cases.
There were 110 complaint notices issued by other authorities.
Swimming Bath.
The swimming bath is normally open between the 30th April and the
30th September. The water is kept clean by a system of continuous filtration,
sedimentation and chlorination and subsequent aeration. The amount of
chlorine added varies with the number of persons using the bath, and an
attempt is made to keep the water with a content a little over 0.2 part per
million of free chlorine near the outflow. At the inflow, of course, the free
chlorine content has to be a little higher. During the season five samples of
the water were taken with the results shown in the table.

Table No. 34.

DateGelatin 20 degrees for 3 daysAgar 37 degrees for 2 daysB. ColiStreptococciB. WelchiiNo. of bathers in previous 60 hoursRemarks
110/5/3821562+ in 2 c.c.+ in 30 c.c.Moderately Satisfactory
214/6/382-10 in 100 c.c.0 in 30 c.c.1778Satisfactory
35/7/381250 in 100c.c.+ in 15 c.c.1868Satisfactory
428/8/38635270+ in 25 c.c.+ in 10 c.c.3609Not Satisfactory
513/9/38430 in 100 c.c.0 in 33 c.c.-504Satisfactory

Samples are taken regularly throughout the season, and to make them
more comparable they are taken at approximately the same time on the same
day of the week (a Tuesday).
The bacteriological count varies not only with the amount of chlorine
added but with the total number of bathers for the past few days. These are
shown in the above table. The free chlorine is increased during peak periods,
but if it gets beyond the usual maximum, complaints are made with regard
to the chemical effects produced on the eyes, nose, ears, etc., of bathers. The
unsatisfactory count found in the August sample was due to the fact that
the chlorination plant was out of commission for a few days, but arrangements
have been made to avoid difficulty in future.
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