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REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR THE CITY OF LONDON FOR THE YEAR 1963.
To the Right Honourable The Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commoners of the Corporation of London.
Guildhall,
E.C.2.
Telephone: MONarch 3030.
My Lord Mayor and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my first Annual Report as Medical Officer of Health for the City
of London. As I took up my appointment on the 1st January 1964 all the work described was carried
out under my predecessor, Dr. J. Greenwood Wilson, the first holder of the combined post of
Medical Officer of Health for the Port and City of London.
I am, Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
W.G. SWANN,
Medical Officer for the City of London.
VITAL STATISTICS
The resident population of the City according to the Registrar General's estimate at mid-year
1963 was 4,580.
The birth rate rose to 9.39 per 1,000 resident population and the death rate rose to 12.01 per
1,000 resident population as compared with 6.29 and 8.46 respectively in 1962.
There were 43 live births and 1 still birth. 7 of the live births were illegitimate.
The total number of deaths of all ages was 55: 36 male and 19 female. There were 17 deaths
due to cancer,7 of which were cancer of the lung; 17 deaths were due to coronary or other heart
disease and 10 were due to bronchitis, pneumonia or other respiratory diseases.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES NOTIFIED
26 notifications of infectious disease were received, namely 1 of acute primary pneumonia, (0),
1 of food poisoning (0), 10 of measles (4), 4 of puerperal pyrexia (3), 5 of pulmonary tuberculosis (4),
4 of scarlet fever (4) and 1 of whooping cough (0).
(The figures in brackets denote the comparable numbers of cases in 1962).
FOOD POISONING
During the year only one outbreak of food poisoning occurred in the City. This was in the
staff canteen of an insurance company where the catering arrangements were under the control of
a large catering company.
Approximately 30 people were taken ill, and an investigation indicated that roast turkey
which had been subject to a re-heating process, and the gravy and soup made from the turkey,
were the cause of the outbreak.
The symptoms of those affected varied and as both staphylococcus aureus and a heat resistant
Clostridium Welchii were isolated by the bacteriologist from the remnants of the turkey, it is probable
that some of the patients suffered from two separate kinds of food poisoning.
Although the precise origin of the outbreak was not traced on this occasion, the opportunity
was taken to make a searching investigation of the practices of the caterer, and a detailed
inspection of the premises and equipment was also made. As a result recommendations for a
number of improvements were made to the catering firm in question and these improvements were
subsequently carried out.
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