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annual report of
the medical officer of health
for the year 1936.
To the Right Honourable The Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the Corporation of London.
Public Health Department,
Guildhall, E.C.
June, 1937.
My Lord Mayor and Gentlemen,
After 35 years' loyal and devoted service to the Corporation of London, your Medical
Officer of Health, Dr. W. M. Willoughby, died on November 4th, 1936. It is, therefore,
my sad duty to present to you the Annual Report of the work of his department for the
year 1936.
Dr. Willoughby was born at Plymouth, in 1875, and was educated at Plymouth College
and University College, Bristol, whence he obtained a scholarship to Caius College, Cambridge.
In 1897 he took Honours in the Natural Science Tripos and, having chosen medicine as
a career, he continued his studies at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, graduated M.B., B.Ch. in
1900, preceding M.D. in 1904. After a short period in general practice, Dr. Willoughby
was, in 1901, appointed a Boarding Medical Officer on the staff of the Corporation of London
as Port Sanitary Authority. In 1914 he succeeded the late Dr. Hubert Williams as Medical
Officer of Health of the Port of London, and in 1928, on the death of Dr. Howarth, Dr.
Willoughby was appointed Medical Officer of Health of the City of London.
During these many years of service Dr. Willoughby earned the respect and esteem,
not only of the members of the Corporation and their staff in all departments, but also of
his colleagues in the Public Health Service throughout the country. He had an acute
mind and a sound scientific training, which enabled him to view the whole public health
field in proper perspective. He was very critical of "stunts" and dissatisfied with mere
palliatives, but when he found a line along which it appeared to him that real progress
could be made, he followed it with enthusiasm. Though he was naturally of a retiring
nature, his ability and his rigid honesty of purpose were widely recognised, so
that what he said or wrote always commanded attention as having been carefully weighed
by a mind which, trained and constantly directed to the pursuit of truth, never shirked
the issue, even if it proved to be unpalatable or unpopular.
As a colleague who worked in daily association with him for eight years and who witnessed
the courage with which he endured suffering during what he knew to be the last
weeks of his life, I shall ever regard it as a privilege to have enjoyed his friendship, to have
been stimulated by his ideas, to have been amused by his wit and to have been charmed
by his unfailing courtesy and kindness.
During the year Mr. J. E. Oakley, the Keeper in charge of the City Mortuary since
1909, retired on pension, and the Corporation were pleased to promote the Disinfector,
T. Steggles, to fill the vacancy thus caused.
I should like to express my great appreciation of the valuable assistance which is
rendered by St. Bartholomew's Hospital to the Corporation in connection with
(1) Venereal Disease;
(2) Tuberculosis;
(3) Maternity and Child Welfare.
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