House of Commons (ventilation). Report on an investigation of the ventilation of the debating chamber of the House of Commons / by Dr. M.M. Gordon.

  • Great Britain. Office of Works and Public Buildings.
Date:
1905-06
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: House of Commons (ventilation). Report on an investigation of the ventilation of the debating chamber of the House of Commons / by Dr. M.M. Gordon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    54/286 page 28
    vi. SAMPLES OF Dust FROM THE DEBATING CHAMBER, DIVISION LOBBIES, AND New PALAce YARD. Two samples of dust were obtained from the Debating Chamber, and one from the Division Lobbies. Mr. Patey furnished me with these samples obtained with the vacuum cleaner. The sample of New Palace Yard dust was collected near the pavement. The results shown by these samples are seen in the following table :— Analyses of Samples of Dust. No. Material. sues) Wace on, | B. Coli. B Eat Spo * Streptococci. 1904. 1 | Dust of Debating| June 7 1,000,000 100 100 None Chamber. not not not isolated. . 10,000,000. 1,000. 1,000. 2 | Dust of Debating| August 15 100,000 1,000 1,000 10 Chamber, not not / not not 1,000,000. 10,000. 10,000. 100. 3 | Dust of Division June 7 1,000,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Lobbies, not not _ not not 10,000,000. 10,000. 10,000. 10,000. 4/Dust of New] October 29 100,000 10,000 100 Under 1,000. Palace Yard not not not by Members’ 1,000,000. 100,000. 1,000. Kntrance. Character of the Coli-like Bacteria isolated. x All of the B. coli isolated from the dust of the Debating Chamber had the characters of typical B. coli of the intestine. The sample of Lobby dust showed the same micro-organism present to 100 per gramme. The coli isolated at a later date from New Palace Yard was atypical. Characters of the Streptococci isolated. No streptococci characteristic of saliva were obtained from these samples. It is interesting to observe that the same peculiar streptococcus was found present, respectively— In dirt from Members’ boots to 100 per gramme; In Debating Chamber dust to 10 per gramme; and In Lobby dust to 1,000 per gramme. This streptococcus in all three cases, besides giving identical reactions, rapidly liquefied gelatine and peptonised milk. Conclusion —Fecal pollution is evident in dust from the Debating Chamber and Division Lobbies, but no salivary pollution was found.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3