[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Leeds City.

  • Leeds City Council
Date:
1960
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Leeds City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    293/308 (page 261)
    A fragment of bone found in some dripping was submitted with a suggestion that it was part of a human tooth. The specimen appeared much more like part of a pig’s tooth, and its identity was later confirmed at the Dental School as a fragment of a pig’s premolar. A sample of bore hole water was free from organic impurities, but had taken up an excessive amount of zinc (n parts per million) from the galvanised storage tank into which it had been pumped. Eight waters from flooded cellars were analysed in order to determine their origin. Twelve samples of air were analysed to determine the effic¬ iency of ventilation in a number of “ improved ” back-to-back houses. Eight samples of air from the vicinity of a chemical works were analysed for determination of nitrous fumes. Fourteen atmospheric deposits from the area of the proposed new abbattoir were examined. SAMPLES SUBMITTED BY OTHER CORPORATION DEPARTMENTS Central Purchasing Department.—Six liquid detergents and two toilet soaps were analysed. City Architect’s Department.—Two samples of mortar were analysed. Both contained an excessive proportion of sand, and failed by a considerable margin to comply with the contract specifi¬ cation. A ground water was analysed with special reference to its sulphate content. City Coroner.—61 specimens were analysed in respect of 21 deaths. The possibility of poisoning as the cause of death was excluded in two cases where no drugs whatsoever were present, and in four others in which therapeutic doses only could be detected in the organs. In nine cases death was shown to be due to overdoses of barbiturates, the actual drugs concerned being Amytal (4 cases), Tuinal (2 cases), Carbrital, Nembutal and Seconal. Two deaths were