Dr. Blaxall's report to the local government board upon an epidemic of enteric fever in the village of Selborne, Hants.

  • Blaxall, F. H.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Blaxall's report to the local government board upon an epidemic of enteric fever in the village of Selborne, Hants. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    11/18 page 11
    REPORT. Tliis water contains a large quantity of saline aininonia, and is largely contaminated with nitrogenous organic matter, both oxidised and unoxidlsed. The microscopic evidence is bad. This water must be (unless it be very carefully filtered) condemned as unlit to drink. (Signed) Airnrun Axgell, 29th April, 1879. Public Analyst. Analysis No. 3 (Well at Eisher’s Buildings). Physical Chauagters. Colour, slightly yellow. Turbidity, very slight. Smell, no perceptible. Taste, not any. MiCROSooric Examination. The matter which subsided consisted of animal and vegetable debris, hairs and fibres, swarming with various kinds of aninudculae. Total hardness 21T Hardness by Clark’s Scale. f Fixed 8*5 degrees. (^Removable by boiling 12‘0 degrees. degrees Chemical Analysis. — Expressed in parts per hundred tlionsand. Expressed in grs. per gallon. I. Free ammonia ----- 0-0240 0-0168 II. Albuminoid ammonia - - - - 0-0098 0•00686 Equal to nitrogen obtained from organic matter 0-00807 0 - 005649 III. Nitrogen present as nitrates and nitrites 0-52178 0•365246 Total nitrogen in I., II., and III. - - - 0-54961 0-384727 IV. Chlorine ------ 3-2 2-24 Calculated as common salt - - - - 5-27 3-68 V. Iron a trace. — Total solids 35T7 grs. per gallon. On ignition, darkened ; bad odour. Total loss of weight d‘69 grs. per gallon. REPORT. The ammonia yielded by saline and by organic matters are in excess ; these indicate the ])resence of nitrogenous or albuminoid substances in solution, and of ammoniacal salts derived from them. The nitrogen due to oxidised organic matter is also excessive, the microsco[)ic results are bad, and the beha^■ionr of the solid residue on ignition lery suspicious. I am of opinion, consequent upon these analytical results, that this Avater is not in a fit state for dietetical purposes. (Signed) Arthur Ancell, 30th January, 1879. Public Analyst. M 486. c
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3