London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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TABLE II.—Results obtained in 1955 of the daily observations of the concentrations of SMOKE by the volumetric method.
| MONTH | Rainfall collected in deposit gauge at Golden Lane | Golden Lane | POLICE STATIONS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishopsgate | Cloak Lane | Snow Hill | ||||||||
| Monthly average | Highest daily | Monthly average | Highest daily | Monthly average | Highest daily | Monthly average | Highest daily | |||
| Equivalent to | ||||||||||
| Millimetres | inches of rain | Milligrams per 100 cubic metres | Milligrams per 100 cubic metres | Milligrams per 100 cubic metres | Milligrams per 100 cubic metres | |||||
| January | 60 | 2.38 | 36(a) | 194 (a) | Observations first commenced on the 1st April, 1955. | |||||
| February | 33 | 1.30 | 15 | 30 | ||||||
| March | 20 | 0.78 | 15 | 41 | ||||||
| April | 5 | 0.19 | 7 | 20 | 25 | 58 | 10 | 25 | 13 | 28 |
| May | 105 | 4.16 | 6 | 15 | 19 | 35 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 13 |
| June | 63 | 2.48 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 29 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 8 |
| July | 33 | 1.30 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 33 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 7 |
| August | 22 | 0.88 | 4 | 9 | 18 | 44 | 4 | .9 | 4 | 9 |
| September | 55 | 2.18 | 7 | 33 | 23 | 43 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 18 |
| October | 70 | 2.74 | 16 | 39 | 31 | 48 | 14 | 39 | 15 | 36 |
| November | 12 | 0.49 | 24 | 65 | 41 | 87 | 19 | 53 | 20 | 70 |
| December | 40 | 1.59 | 30 (b) | 111 (6) | 42 | 77 | 19 | 58 | 21 | 55 |
| Average: | ||||||||||
| 1955 | 43 | 1.71 | 14 | - | 25 (c) | - | 10(c) | - | 11 (c) | - |
| 1954 | 47 | 1.80 | 14 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1953 | 36 | 1.40 | 14 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1952 | 40 | 1.50 | 13 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1951 | 54 | 2.10 | 12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1950 | 38 | 1.50 | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1950-54 | 43 | 1.66 | 12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
(a) These figure reflect the result of heavy fogs on the 12th and 20th of the month.
(b) Includes the average of 8 short period measurements taken between 11.0 a.m. on the 30th November
and 2.0 p.m. on the 1st December because of persistent fog warning.
(c) Results for nine months of the year.
TABLE III.—Results obtained in 1955 of the daily observations of concentrations of SULPHUR DIOXIDE by the volumetric method.
| MONTH | Rainfall collected in deposit gauge at Golden Lane | Golden Lane | POLICE STATIONS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishopsgate | Cloak Lane | Snow Hill | ||||||||
| Monthly average | Highest daily | Monthly average | Highest daily | Monthly average | Highest daily | Monthly average | Highest daily | |||
| Equivalent to | ||||||||||
| Millimetres | inches of rain | Parts per 100 million parts of air | Parts per 100 million parts of air | Parts per 100 million parts of air | Parts per 100 million parts of air | |||||
| January | 60 | 2.38 | 17 (a) | 69 (a) | Obervations first commenced on the 1st April, 1955. | |||||
| February | 33 | 1.30 | 13 | 35 | ||||||
| March | 20 | 0.78 | 13 | 29 | ||||||
| April | 5 | 0.19 | 8 | 18 | 13 | 21 | 12 | 23 | 12 | 21 |
| May | 105 | 4.16 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 17 |
| June | 63 | 2.48 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 17 |
| July | 33 | 1.30 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 13 |
| Auguest | 22 | 0.88 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 6 | 15 | 7 | 17 |
| September | 55 | 2.18 | 6 | 16 | 13 | 23 | 16 | 9 | 19 | |
| October | 70 | 2.74 | 12 | 28 | 18 | 32 | 13 | 31 | 16 | 30 |
| November | 12 | 0.49 | 14 | 37 | 18 | 37 | 17 | 45 | 18 | 44 |
| December Average: | 40 | 1.59 | 15 (6) | 35 (6) | 21 | 43 | 17 | 36 | 21 | 45 |
| 1955 | 43 | 1.71 | 10 | - | 13 (c) | - | 10(c) | - | 12 (c) | - |
| 1954 | 47 | 1.80 | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1953 | 36 | 1.40 | 11 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1952 | 40 | 1.50 | 11 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1951 | 54 | 2.10 | 13 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1950 | 38 | 1.50 | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1950-54 | 43 | 1.66 | 11 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
(а) These figures reflect the result of heavy fogs on the 12th and 20th of the month.
(b) Includes the average of 8 short period measurements taken between 11.0 a.m. on the 30th November
and 2.0 p.m. on the 1st December.
(c) Results for nine months of the year.
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
Your Medical Officer carries out the medical examination of all new entrants to the staff
of the Corporation; of those who appear to be medically unfit to continue in employment and
of those who have had prolonged or repeated absence on account of illness.
In connection with the last two mentioned categories, it is frequently necessary to correspond
with medical and surgical specialists on the staff of hospitals, and with general medical
practitioners, and I have pleasure in recording that I have always received from them the
greatest assistance and courtesy.
The total number of medical examinations during the year was 219.