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
City of London 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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Supplies from Waterboats
All samples drawn direct from the boats have been examined in all respects and found to be
in the "excellent" quality.
Distribution aboard ships
Of 76 samples drawn from taps in the Accommodation and Galleys
69 were found to be within the "Excellent" — "Satisfactory" qualities.
7 were found to be within the "Unsatisfactory" — "Unfit" qualities.
Storage aboard ships
Of 18 samples drawn direct from ships' storage tanks
17 were found to be within the "Excellent" — "Satisfactory" qualities.
1 was found to be "Unsatisfactory" quality.
Port Installations
Dockworkers' drinking fountains were tested on 13 occasions : —
12 were found to be of "Excellent" quality.
1 was found to be of "Satisfactory" quality.
Dockworkers' Canteen taps were tested on six occasions and all were found to be of "Excellent"
quality.
During the year there have been infrequent occasions when drinking water aboard ships has
been found so physically impure as to warrant rejection as "Unfit" without recourse to bacteriological
examination.
The steady improvement in drinking water available to seamen and dockworkers alike in this
Port reflects credit on all who have collaborated to this end, and every effort will be made to
attain the highest standard possible.
FRESH WATER SAMPLE TOTALS & PERCENTAGES - 1960
| Dirty | Unfit | Suspic. | Unsat. | Satis. | Good | Excell. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | Hydrants | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 5 | 43 |
| 24 | Standpipes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 17 |
| 84 | Hose Ends | 7 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 24 | 8 | 25 |
| 184 | Samples | 7 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 49 | 14 | 85 |
| % | 3.8 | 1.6 | 0 | 14.1 | 26.6 | 7.6 | 46.2 | |
| 80.4% | ||||||||
FRESH WATER SAMPLES- SUMMARY - 1960
| HYDRANTS | STANDPIPES | DELIVERY HOSE ENDS | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dirty | Unfit | Suspic. | Unsat. | Satis. | Good | Excell. | Dirty | Unfit | Suspic. | Unsat | Satis. | Good | Excell. | Dirty | Unfit | Suspic. | Unsat | Satis. | Good | Excell. | STVXOX | |
| Victoria Dock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 |
| Royal Albert Dock | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 41 |
| King George V Dock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 22 |
| Tilbury Dock | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 67 |
| West India Docks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Surrey Dock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Regents Canal Dock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| London Docks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| River Districts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Isle of Grain Area | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| TOTALS | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 5 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 24 | 8 | 25 | 184 |
| TANKS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water Boats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | ||||||||||||||
| GRAND TOTAL | 191 | |||||||||||||||||||||