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CAM 9
Appendix III. to Annual Report.
bawbswell
Report of the medical Officer of health.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of
Camberwell.
Gentlemen, —The population of London at the middle
of the year 1902 is estimated by the Registrar-General to be
4,579,110, and it is on this figure that he makes his calculations
of the birth, marriage and death rates for the whole of the
County.
During the 53 weeks ending January 3rd, 1903, the
births numbered 132,810, equal to a rate of 28.5 per thousand.
In 1901 it was 29 0, so that the decline which commenced in
1896 has gone on since that year; indeed that for 1902
is the lowest London birth rate recorded.
The marriages numbered 40,817 as compared with
40,010 in the previous year.
The deaths registered in London were 82,540, corresponding
to an uncorrected rate of 17'7 per thousand; the
average rate in the ten previous years having been 19'2 per
thousand.
In my report last year I alluded to the difficulty
experienced in making an estimate of the population of the
various sub-districts, and especially that of St. George's. During
the period 1896-1901, owing to the demolition of a considerable
number of houses, and also, it is to be hoped, in consequence
of the action of this Council in the diminution of overcrowding
that undoubtedly existed in certain parts of this district, the
population showed a decrease. Even allowing for a large
amount of emigration from this neighbourhood, the excess of
births over deaths would imply that this diminution has not
continued during the past year, but that the population has
again begun to increase. For the purpose of this district,
the ordinary methods of calculation not being available, I have
taken the number of assessments and have multiplied them
by the average number of inhabitants for the only three complete