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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 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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TABLE III.-Results obtained in 1956 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 | 68 | 2.69 | 19 (a) | 43 | 23 | 70 | 20 | 85 | 25 | 64 |
| February | 5 | 0.18 | 14 | 50 | 17 | 58 | 19 | 55 | 19 | 50 |
| March | 22 | 0.85 | 13 | 45 | 17 | 35 | 17 | 32 | 17 | 35 |
| April | 25 | 0.98 | 10 | 22 | — | — | 15 | 27 | 14 | 19 |
| May | 6 | 0.25 | 5 | 15 | — | — | 7 | 13 | 8 | 14 |
| June | 56 | 2.22 | 3 | 10 | — | — | 4 | 7 | 6 | 9 |
| July | 114 | 4.49 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 11 |
| August | 78 | 3.06 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 9 |
| September | 50 | 1.96 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 9 | 27 | 8 | 28 |
| October | 42 | 1.64 | 10 | 26 | 14 | 26 | 13 | 30 | 14 | 23 |
| November | 8 | 0.32 | 13 | 27 | 18 | 27 | 17 | 32 | 18 | 26 |
| December | 56 | 2.22 | 15 | 36 | 18 | 30 | 15 | 51 | 16 | 22 |
| Averages: | ||||||||||
| 1956 | 44 | 1.74 | 10 | — | 15(b) | — | 12 | — | 13 | — |
| 1955 | 43 | 1.71 | 10 | — | 13(b) | — | 10(b) | — | 12(b) | — |
| 1954 | 47 | 1.80 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1953 | 36 | 1.40 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1952 | 40 | 1.50 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1951 | 54 | 2.10 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1951-1955 | 44 | 1.70 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
(a) Includes the mean of 27 short period measurements taken between the 4th-8th January (inclus.) during a
persistent fog warning.
(b) Measurements for 9 months of the year.
Or. Charles F. White concluded his Annual Report for the year 1955 on a personal note in
which he took farewell of the Corporation and expressed his appreciation for the happiness he
had had in their service for the previous 28 years, first as Medical Officer of Health of the Port
of London and then as Medical Officer of Health of the City. I succeeded him in Apri1, 1956 so
that for the first three months of the year 1956 the work recorded in this Annual Report was
carried out under his supervision. I am glad to have this opportunity of saying how much I appreciate
the honour of succeeding so distinguished a Medical Officer of Health as Dr. Charles F.
White.
On the 17th December, 1953 the Court of Common Council approved the recommendation of
the Officers' and Clerks' Committee that the person appointed to the position of Medical Officer
of Health of the Port of London on the retirement of Dr. M.T. Morgan on the 31st March, 1954, be
appointed to become Medical Officer of Health for the City of London as well upon the retirement
of Dr. Charles F. White. It is now my privilege as the first holder of the combined appointrnentto
present my first Annual Report as Medical Officer of Health of the City of London concurrently
with my third Annual Report as Medical Officer of Health of the Port of London.
I should like to express my thanks to the Chairman and members of the Public Health Committee
for the warm welcome they gave me when I succeeded Dr. White, and for the kindness
they showed me during the remainder of the year 1956 following his retirement.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient Servant,
J. GREENWOOD WILSON,
Medical Officer of Health,
Port and City of London.
22.