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REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR THE CITY OF LONDON FOR THE YEAR 1951.
To the Right Honourable The Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commoners of the Corporation of London.
55/61, Moorgate,
London, E.C. 2.
July, 1952.
My Lord Mayor and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit the following report on the work of my Department during the
year 1951.
Vital Statistics.
I must again make the observation that owing to the small resident population of the City, the
vital statistics are of little or no value as an indication of the health of the community or for comparison
with the statistics of the county as a whole or any other area. The birth rate appears as
7.59 per 1,000 which is about half that for England and Wales. The death rate appears as 12 91.
In 1950 the death rate for the County of London was 11.3. The infant mortality rate appears as 75
per 1,000 live births. The corresponding rate for the County of London in 1950 was 26. For legitimate
infants the mortality rate was 27.05. The rate for the County in 1950 was 24.81. The mortality rate
for illegitimate infants was 666.67 per 1,000, which appears alarming until it is observed that there
were only three illegitimate births, of which it happened that two died. With only three illegitimate
births the mortality rate could only be 0, 333, 666 or 1,000, all of which are ridiculous figures. The
death rate for illegitimate infants in the County in 1950 was 35.48.
Infectious Diseases.
The incidence of infectious disease in the City during the year calls for no special comment.
There was no case of polio-myelitis.
The number of notifications of Pulmonary Tuberculosis (17), gives an annual rate per 1,000
living of 3.2 which is twice the rate for the County of London, but six were amongst the staff of a
large general hospital, and three from the Salvation Army Hostel. The rate amongst ordinary
residents in the City was about the same as that for the County.
As usual there were a number of enquiries from business firms in the City as to the action to be
taken in regard to cases and contacts of infectious diseases amongst their staffs.
Mass Radiography.
In my last annual report I referred to the fact that the Corporation had made available to the
North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, accommodation at 20, Golden Lane for a Mass
Radiography Unit, and that every occupier of premises in the City was being notified of the existence
of this service.
The response of both employers and employees has continued to be very satisfactory.
The Medical Director of the Unit has kindly supplied the following preliminary report on the
work of the Unit during 1951. His full annual report will not be published till later, so I am not able
to say how many of the 44,457 persons examined were from the City and how many from the adjacent
Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury.
"From the 1st January to the 15th June and from the 1st August to the end of the year,
excluding the holiday period (13th August to 3rd September), Mass Radiography Unit 6D was
operating at the Mass Radiography Centre, 20, Golden Lane, E.C. I. From the 18th June to
27th June the Unit carried out a Survey at The Amalgamated Press, Ltd., Fleetway House,
Farringdon Street, E.C. 4. Altogether 1,646 firms were examined at the Centre during 1951,
but it should be pointed out that this figure includes a number of firms in the Metropolitan
Boroughs of Finsbury, Shoreditch and Stepney, which attended the Mass Radiography Centre
as the latter is conveniently situated for these Boroughs.
The Medical Officer of Health has continued his circulation of firms in the City, and this
valuable co-operation is greatly appreciated.

The Mass Radiography Service which is free, speedy, reliable and confidential, enables
large groups of people to have a Chest X-ray with a minimum amount of inconvenience. Its
purpose is to discover tuberculosis and other chest ailments in their early stages when they are
more easily curable. A notification of the result of the examination is sent to all examinees who
bring to the Unit a stamped envelope bearing their name and private address."