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interesting development is the steady increase in the size of
children which has been taking place for nearly 100 years. This
very important feature, which is evident in London school children
(and in this Borough) is in line with what has been happening
in Western Europe and America.
Finally, whilst a hundred years ago the basis of public
health work was prevention of infectious disease, the emphasis
has now changed to the promotion of health; and health
education is to-day one of the most important functions of the
Medical Officer of Health. To prevent is negative, to promote,
positive: and the widened aims of a public health department
to-day may be defined broadly as the attainment, maintenance
and improvement of physical and mental health as well as the
prevention of ill-health. The Medical Officers of Health of the
last century were faced with many difficulties; the fall in the
death-rate, especially among infants, and from infectious
diseases, sanitary reform and the general improvement in the
health of the community is their memorial. The health problems
of to-day are rather different but equally complex; there is
little doubt that they will eventually be solved in the same
manner.
Vital Statistics.
The Registrar General's estimate of the population of the
Borough at Mid-1955 was 178,400 which is 1,100 less than the
previous year. The figure obtained at the Census in 1951 was
179,777.
The birth rate remained fairly stable, dropping by only
one point from 14.8 in 1954 to 14.7. This represented a total
of 2,631 live births.
Although the death rate increased from 10.1 in 1954 to
10.5 last year this is the second lowest figure ever recorded
in Camberwell. The total deaths numbered 1878. The infant
deaths, however, which totalled 56 resulted in a new "low"
in the infantile mortality rate which fell to 21.3 per thousand
live births. Fifty of these infant deaths occurred during the
first four weeks of life.
Much has been said and written during the past year or
two about the association between cigarette-smoking and the
incidence of lung cancer and the findings are significant.
Following the national trend the deaths from lung cancer
showed a further marked increase in Camberwell last year. For