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required in order to keep pace with the increasing work of this
department. There are five sanitary Inspectors now employed
by your Board. Two are employed chiefly as dust Inspectors,
and for collecting samples for analysis. One Inspector is
chiefly employed in dealing with infectious diseases and other
extra work. The two other Inspectors are mostly employed in
the regular inspection of the district. I am of opinion that
under the present arrangement, the inspection of the district can
be regularly and satisfactorily performed.
water and water supply.
The water supply of this district is chiefly obtained from two
Companies, the Chelsea and the West Middlesex. The average
amount of water supplied daily to each house during the year
was, Chelsea, 230 gallons, and West Middlesex 163 gallons.
The quantity supplied is a great deal more than is required, for
there is no doubt that a v»ry large proportion is wasted. The
maximum amount of organic pollution was '301 per 100,000 parts
of water in that supplied by the Chelsea Company, and '441 in
that supplied by the West Middlesex. The quality of the river
water last year was generally indifferent, and often very objectionable.
The temperature of the Thames water varied from
32S 9 Fahrenheit in December, to 68° 5 Fahr. in August. The
water was therefore only'slightly above the freezing point in
winter, whilst it was warm and vapid in summer. The mean
amount of solid matter in 100,000 parts of the water supplied by
the Chelsea and West Middlesex Companies was 28-74 and 297,
respectively. The solid matter was composed of a variety of substances,
by far the largest proportion, being entirely harmless
when the water was used for dietetic purposes, but decidedly objectionable
when it was used for washing, because the water was
thereby rendered hard. A small proportion of the solid matters
consisted of organic substances. The average amount of solid
matter was much larger in 1879 than in 1878, although the proportion
in 1878 was greater than in the previous year, The
organic elements consisted chiefly of organic carbon. Had it not
been for the great improvement in the means of Alteration
employed by the Companies, the water last year would have been
the worst on record. Owing to the heavy rains the Thames was
often in high flood, even in the summer, and consequently much
organic matter from drains, cesspools and cultivated fields was
washed into the river. Both of these Companies have greatly increased
their storage capacity to prevent taking in flood water,
but it appears to be impracticable to prevent altogether the evil
effects of such continued flood tides as were experienced during
the last two years. Of the waters taken from the Thames one of
the best average supplies was that furnished by the Chelsea