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REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR THE CITY OF LONDON FOR THE YEAR 1945.
To the Right Honourable The Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commoners of the Corporation of London.
Public Health Department,
Guildhall, E.C. 2.
July, 1946.
My Lord Mayor and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit a report on the work of my Department for the year 1945.
On the instructions of the Minister of Health, this report is again presented in an abridged form
and briefly summarises the activities of the Department.
When the year began the City was still under threat from hostile attack and in fact a long-range
rocket (V2) fell in the City in March. It exploded in the retail Market at the junction of Charterhouse
Street and Farringdon Street, at a busy hour of the morning, causing a large number of casualties,
over a hundred of which were fatal.
The end of active hostilities in Europe came in May and your staff were relieved of most of the
Civil Defence duties which had been such an important part of their work for more than seven years.
There remained only the demobilisation of the Civil Defence Casualty services and the collection,
checking and storage, pending disposal, of Civil Defence equipment.
But the destruction and disorganisation resulting from 6½ years of war has been such that the
department can only gradually return to normal working and to pre-war standards. Labour and
materials and food have remained in short supply and in many ways requirements have had to be
adjusted to what is practicable rather than to what is desirable. Your staff have had many new
problems and difficulties, but they have used common sense and tact and have endeavoured to be
helpful, while at the same time taking care to safeguard everything essential for the protection of the
public health and the prevention of nuisance.
They look forward to the day when conditions are such that they may return to the principle
that only the highest standards should be acceptable in the City of London.
STATISTICAL INFORMATION.
Area.—661 acres (including the Temple and Tidal Water and foreshore).
Population.—Registrar-General's estimate for 1945, 4,270.
Annual Rateable Value.—As at October, 1945, £6,840,516.
Annual Sum received from Penny General Rate.—Estimated £24,329.

Vaccination.—Of the 413 births notified to the Vaccination Officer during 1944, 143 had been
successfully vaccinated by the end of 1945. 9 had died before the age for vaccination and 0 was
insusceptible. Vaccination was postponed in no case, and 207 had removed into other districts. One
case was pending. There were 53 cases of conscientious objection. The Public Vaccinator performed
4 revaccinations during 1945, and in addition to the successful vaccinations referred to above, 1 adult
person was vaccinated for the first time.