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5
Meteorology of Greenwich.
The returns of the Registrar-General show that the rain-fall in the
Metropolis during the Quarter has been 5.86 inches. During the corresponding
Quarter of last year, the rain-fall was 6.66 inches. The mean
temperature of the air was 52.6°. In the corresponding Quarter of last
year, the mean temperature was 55.8°. The hottest days during the
Quarter, were Sunday, June 16th, Monday, June 17th, and Tuesday,
June 18th, when the thermometer, in the shade, indicated respectively
85.6°, 86.0°, and 84.2°. In the corresponding Quarter of the previous
year, the highest reading of the thermometer, in the shade, was on
Thursday, 25th of May, when it indicated 79.5°.
The following Table, taken from the returns of the Registrar-General,
shows the comparative results of the Quarter:—
LONDON.
Aprl
6th
Aprl
13th
Aprl
20th
Aprl
27th
May
4th
May
11th
May
18th
May
25th
June
1st
June
8th
June
15th
June
22nd
June
29th
Deaths from Small
Pox
65
49
48
41
62
39
54
54
37
27
37
26
43
Deaths from Scarlet
Fever
23
26
11
17
11
10
16
20
18
18
12
9
11
Mean Temperature
of the air
44.7°
514°
462°
501°
526°
472°
475°
498°
57 7°
5260
57 9°
665°
603°
Rain-fall in inches
°.47
0.05
0.08
0.38
0.14
0.85
1.95
0.05
0.15
0.77
0.33
0.19
0.45
Deaths in London
1559
1470
11410
1415
1387
1250
1268
1205
1336
1289
1207
1230
1070
chapel District
34
45
47
51
45
37
51
40
40
42
43
48
41
Deaths in ditto from
Small-pox
2
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
Water Supply.
The constant system of water supply, by the use of waste preventers
in the poorer districts, is increasing, and continues to give great satisfaction.
There are now 154 waste preventers (8 new ones having been
erected during this Quarter), by which upwards of 880 houses are supplied.
This mode of supply to the poor localities appears to me, after a long
experience, to be the best for houses which are let in separate tenements.
In some of my previous reports I have made mention of the danger
of drinking water which is drawn from the cistern that supplies the water
closet; and this danger is increased when the water in the cistern is not
sufficient to cover the valve through which the water flows into the pan
of the closet when the valve is raised, for then the foul air of the closet
passes directly into the cistern. When waste pipes are used in cisterns
care must be taken to ascertain that they are properly trapped, for if the
waste pipe passes into the drain of the house, the emanations from the
drain will not only contaminate the water but will occasion a nuisance in
the house.
Sanitary Works Performed during the Quarter.
The following return shows the amount of work done by the
Sanitary Inspectors during the Quarter ending June 29th, 1872:—
Number of inspections of houses as shown in the official returns 3592
Number of rooms found to be overcrowded, the space being less
than 300 cubic feet for each person, reckoning 2 children under
10 years of age for one adult; nuisance in each case abated 27
Number of cases of indecent occupation discovered 17
Houses specially visited 269
Ditto specially re-visited 824