London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1892
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Administrative County of London.
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH.
1892.
The passing of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, having placed the London County Council
in direct relation with sanitary administration in the administrative county of London, I propose
to present to the Council each year a report on the health of London.
STATISTICS.
Population.
The administrative county is conterminous with the registration county, except that the hamlet
of Penge having, in 1891, a population of 20,375, is included in the former and not in the latter.
The rapid increase of the London population during the present century is evidenced by the fact that
between 1801 and 1841 the population doubled itself, and again almost doubled itself between 1841
and 1881.
The population ol the registration county in each census year has been as follows—
| Year. | Population. | Increase per cent. | Year. | Population. | Increase, per cent. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 958,863 | - | 1851 | 2,362,236 | 21.2 |
| 1811 | 1,138,815 | 20.8 | 1861 | 2,803,989 | 18.2 |
| 1821 | 1,378,947 | 21.0 | 1871 | 3,254,260 | 16.0 |
| 1831 | 1,654,994 | 20.0 | 1881 | 3,815,544 | 17.2 |
| 1841 | 1,948,417 | 17.7 | 1891 | 4,211,743 | 10.3 |
During the last decade therefore, the increase has been much less than in previous decades of
this century.
The number of persons living in London is affected by the excess of births over deaths, by
immigration, and by emigration. The increase of population in 1851-60 was 441,753, and the excess
of births over deaths 253,718. In 1861-70 the increase of population was 450,271, and the excess of
births over deaths in this period 331,726. In 1871-80 the figures were respectively 561,284 and
454,475, but in 1881-90 they were 396,199 and 510,384.
While, therefore, during the previous decades the population of London was being largely added
to by the excess of immigration over emigration, during the last decade the position has been reversed,
and London has lost, by the excess of emigration over immigration, more than 114,000 of the population
it would have had if there had been no immigration or emigration. The question naturally arises
whether this change is due more to diminished immigration, or to increased emigration, and the census
of 1891 enables this to be ascertained.
The following table shows the number of natives and immigrants in London in the three census years 1871, 1881, and 1891—
Number of Natives and Immigrants respectively living in London (Registration) in 1871, 1881 and 1891.
| Males. | Females. | Excess of Females. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871. | 1881. | 1891. | 1871. | 1881. | 1891. | 1871. | 1881. | 1891. | |
| Total Inhabitants | 1,523,151 | 1,797,486 | 1,990,748 | 1,731,109 | 2,018,997 | 2,220,995 | 207,958 | 221,511 | 230,247 |
| Born in London | 975,461 | 1,147,063 | 1,323,480 | 1,080,115 | 1,254,892 | 1,435,915 | 104,654 | 107,829 | 112,435 |
| Born out of London | 547,690 | 650,423 | 667,268 | 650,994 | 764,105 | 785,080 | 103,304 | 113,682 | 117,812 |
| Percentages. | |||||||||
| Born in London | 64.0 | 63.8 | 66.5 | 62.4 | 62.2 | 64.7 | 50.3 | 48.7 | 48.8 |
| Born out of London | 36.0 | 36.2 | 33.5 | 37.6 | 37.8 | 35.3 | 497 | 51.3 | 51.2 |
Now, the number of London natives in 1881 had increased 16.9 per cent. upon the number in
1871, and in 1891, 14.9 per cent. upon the number in 1881. In 1881, the number of immigrants had
increased 18 per cent. upon the number in 1871, and in 1891, only 2 per cent. upon the number in
1881. While, therefore, there has been some falling off in the increase of natives, this has by no means
been so marked as the falling off of the increase of immigrants.