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CAM 45
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Camberwell, S.E.5.
31st August, 1939.
To His Worship the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell.
Mr. Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
I have the honour to present to you my Annual Report for 1938.
The population of the Borough at mid-year 1938 as estimated
by the Registrar-General was 222,400, a decrease of 2,400 on the
recorded population figure for 1937. The birth rate for the Borough
was 13-97 per 1,000 of the population as compared with 14·08 in
the previous year. The general death rate for the whole of London
was 11·4 per 1,000 of the population, the rate for Camberwell being
12·27. The infantile mortality rate was 61 per 1,000 births as
compared with 58 in 1937.
Two noteworthy events of the year's work are deserving of
reference, viz., the opening of the Council's new Disinfecting and
Cleansing Station at Peckham and the adoption of proposals for
the erection of a Health Centre in Camberwell Road. A detailed
report of this Scheme is included in an appendix to this report.
Duties relating to Air Raid Precautions have encroached very
•considerably upon the normal work of the Department since the
crisis in September last and the delay in the publication of this
Report is due entirely to this cause. Praise is due to the staff of the
Public Health Department for the manner in which they have
accepted these additional onerous duties and I wish to say to them
" Thank you " for the assistance ungrudgingly rendered to me
during these difficult times.
I also wish to express my appreciation and thanks to the
members of the Council, especially to the Chairman and Members
of the Public Health and the Maternity and Child Welfare Committees
for their kind support throughout the year in all matters
appertaining to the discharge of my duties as Medical Officer of
Health.
Your obedient Servant,
H. W. BARNES, Medical Officer of Health.