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6
PREFACE.
The health of the Borough of Lambeth during the year 1936
has been generally satisfactory, as may be observed from the
statistics in the report. The Registrar General's estimate of the
population is reduced for the eleventh year in succession from the
highest in 1925, when it was estimated to be 311,100 to 1936, for
which the population is 277,500. The latter is less by 18,647 than
that disclosed as a result of the census in 1931. It had been
expected that the new dwellings, more of which were erected than
in any preceding year, would have led to an increase rather than a
decrease in the estimated population, but the effect may be reflected
in future years.
The birth rate was raised slightly over that of the previous
year to 13.94 per 1,000 population, but the higher death rate
reduced the natural increase by excess of births over deaths to 390
compared with 421 in 1935.
The Registrar General has again calculated a comparability
factor for the purpose of adjusting the local death rate, which will
enable the crude death rate to be compared with the crude death
rate of England and Wales, and with that of any local area whose
crude death rate has been similarly modified. The adjusted crude
death rate for the Borough is 12.41 compared with 12.02 in 1935,
and a little more than half the deaths occurred in the age groups from
65 years upwards.
The dislocation of the work of the Public Health Department
caused by the overcrowding survey in the early months of the year,
was balanced by a similar dislocation in the latter months and the
early part of 1937. These two periods of dislocation were linked by
a plethora of new legislation with memoranda and circulars from
the Ministry of Health. Apart from large temporary additions for
particular work under the Housing Act, 1936, there has been no
increase in the staff during the year which has been a material
factor in causing delay in the publication of this report. The