London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Croydon 1894

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]

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4
From these facts, it is necessary to estimate what was the
population of the District and of its constituent parishes, in the
year under review. To obtain correct vital statistics, it is
essential that the estimation of the population should be as
accurate as circumstances will permit, for population is the basis
of all vital statistics. The usual method is that known as the
Registrar General's method, which is based on the assumption
that the rate of increase since the last census year, has been the
same as that proved to have existed in the last preceding intercensal
period. This method is accurate enough for most cases,
especially if large populations are being dealt with, and in the
absence of any special disturbing factors. It is useful, however,
to correct the results obtained by this method, by obtaining
returns giving the number of inhabited houses in the District,
as disclosed by the various rate-books, and multiplying the
number by the average number of persons living in each house,
as ascertained at the last census.
Estimated by these methods, the population at the middle
of 1894 may be assumed to have consisted of 28,200 persons, of
which 13,420 were males, and 14,780 females.
The natural increase of the population, which means the
excess of births over deaths, has been since the census 1,666, and
for the year 1894, was 433.
The estimation of the population of the constituent parishes
is a more uncertain matter still than that of the District, but,
guided mainly by the returns of inhabited houses, I have shown
in Table I. the population and sex-distribution of each parish at
the middle of 1894, as accurately as possible.
While the population of the District, as a whole, appears to
be increasing at the same rate as it did during the last intercensal
period (1881 to 1891), this does not seem to be the case
with each individual parish. Still guided principally by the
returns of inhabited houses, it appears that the populations of
Addington and Merton are not increasing so rapidly as they did
between 1881 and 1891; those of Beddington, Morden, Sander-