London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Southwark 1893

Annual report for 1893 of the Medical Officer of Health

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6 Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southrwark.
With regard to these points it may be at once stated that the accommodation
afforded by new houses is not enough for anything like a large additional number of
persons. It is obvious that any increase among those who work in the district, but
who reside at a distance, will tend to swell the birth rates of other parishes. The
two remaining points (2 and 3) will be fully discussed further on, under the heading
of Birth-rates and Mortality. Meanwhile it will be sufficient for the present purpose
to state that the rate of births in your parish is fractionally lowered, while at the
same time the deaths have increased.
Proportionate Increase or Decrease Between 1881—91.
Borough Eoad should increase 172. Actual increase 67
London Eoad 210. Actual decrease 9
Kent Eoad 226. Actual increase 48
Whole Parish 608 Actual increase 106
It is well known that a death-rate in a district mounts up in direct proportion to
the density of population, a fact which was first laid down as a general law by the
late Dr. Farr. Now, the death-rate of 27'6 per 1000 in St. George's is excessive, as
will be seen from a consideration of the following figures:—

Table VI.

Years.St. George, Southwark.London.
Death-rate per 1,000.Death-rate per 1,000.
1841—50 inclusive3025
1851—602724
1861—70 ,,2724
1871—8025.222.4
1881—9025.020.5
189225.220.3
189327.621.3

From the foregoing facts, therefore, I think it is not unreasonable to attribute
this diminished ratio of increase of population in your parish mainly to the higher
death-rate, and this again to a more ultimate origin in overcrowding.
Births and Birth-Rate.
Table VII. gives the births and birth-rate per 1000 per annum for the years 1892
and 1893 in each sub-district in the whole parish, in London, and in the 33 large
English towns.