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
Richmond upon Thames 1970
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond upon Thames]
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The estimated average weekly cost of room heating using 50 cwts. of bituminous coal per annum is compared with alternative fuels :
| Fuel. | Appliance. | 1966 | 1969 | 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | Stool and Fret | 12/9 | 13/5 | 16/4 |
| Gas Coke | Improved Open Fire | 11/9 | 12/8 | 18/3 |
| Hard Coke | Openable Room Heater | 8/- | 8/9 | 11/7 |
| Gas | Gas Room Heater | 9/11 | 11/1 | 11/1 |
| Electric | Electric Fire | 15/8 | 18/- | 17/9 |
| Electric (off Peak) | Electric Storage Heater | 8/1 | 8/6 | 7/7 |
| Paraffin | Fixed Flued Heater | 8/2 | 8/2 | 8/5 |
Listed below are the percentages of the appliance types selected during the year compared with previous years.
| Appliance Selected | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gas Room Heaters | 51% | 66% | 69% | 65% | 57% |
| Open Fires | 33% | 19% | 14% | 19% | 22% |
| Solid Fuel Heating Stoves | 14% | 10% | 12% | 9% | 8% |
| Electric Storage Heaters | 2% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 11% |
| Electric Fires ... | 2% | 2% |
It would appear from these figures that applicants are beginning to appreciate the
low running cost of electric storage heaters. These heaters would no doubt be more
popular but for the lack of control over the output of heat from the appliance. Certainly
the more rapid response of gas makes the gas room heater more attractive to the
home-coming commuter.
Four occupiers of buildings in smoke control areas were found to be emitting
smoke through burning coal or incorrectly operating an oil-fired boiler. All offenders
complied upon informal requests.
Oil-fired boilers are exempt from the provisions relating to smoke control areas on
condition that they are designed, installed, maintained and operated so as to minimise
the emission of smoke. The design is generally satisfactory but by using instruments
measuring the temperature of the flue gases, the percentage of C02, the draught and
the Bacharach smoke number it has been found that few are correctly installed. Consequently
these boilers seldom work as effciently as they should and sometimes produce
smoke, especially if they are, as is too often the case, poorly maintained.
Poor combustion conditions in oil-fired plant can give rise to oily smells. From time
to time complaints of a diesel or paraffin smell are investigated and those arising from
an obvious source are easily rectified. However, twice during the year it was impossible
to pinpoint the source as in both instances all the known furnaces in the area were
satisfactory. The investigations however showed that in neither case was the smell
prejudicial to health or a nuisance.
These enquiries also confirmed that many persons use paraffin for lighting or
reviving fires, especially bonfires; unburnt vapourised fuel can be most unpleasant and
is capable of being carried a long way. One of the complainants was firmly of the
opinion that the smell came from overflying aircraft and abandoned this view only
when the smell was present in the absence of aircraft.
A cold blast cupola, which is a comparatively simple furnace used to melt iron for
casting, had for a number of years been the source of complaint from residents adjacent
to a foundry. The complaints mainly concerned grit which was discharged from the
chimney of the cupola. A local authority can only require the owner of such a furnace
to employ practical means to reduce the grit emission. Various opinions as to what
was practicable gave rise in other parts of the country to disputes and inconsistent
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