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
St Giles (Camberwell) 1863
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell, St. Giles]
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trar General's estimate of the population of London, and in
determining that of Camberwell and that of Peckham have
assumed their annual increase to have been at the rate of 2.28
per cent., a rate which I have previously shown to be undoubtedly
below their real rates of increase.
Thus, he assigns 50 deaths in Camberwell to fever; I estimate the number of fever-deaths at 41 only. But as the same kind of error which leads him to increase the fever-deaths in Camberwell, doubtless leads him also to trar General's estimate of the population of London, and in determining that of Camberwell and that of Peckham have assumed their annual increase to have been at the rate of 2.28 per cent., a rate which I have previously shown to be undoubtedly below their real rates of increase.
| Deaths in Camberwell, per 10,000. | Deaths in Peckham, per 10,000. | Deaths in London, per 10000. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Pox | 1.7 | 1.3 | 6.7 |
| Fever | 6.6 | 6.4 | 9.7 |
| Scarlet Fever | 16.8 | 19.8 | 17.4 |
| Diphtheria | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.3 |
| Measles | 4.2 | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| Hooping Cough | 7.5 | 8.7 | 7.3 |
It will be thus seen, that far from favouring Camberwell and
Peckham, I have yielded in making my comparison points
which would have been to their advantage. Yet it appears that
as regards small-pox, fever, scarlet fever and measles, Camberwell
has the advantage of London; that as regards hooping cough
there is scarcely any difference between them; and that diphtheria
is the only one of these diseases in which the average of Camberwell
exceeds that of London. It appears further, that as regards
small-pox and fever, Peckham is not only below the metropolis
but below the parish as a whole; that as regards measles,
Peckham is equal to London but above Camberwell; that as
regards diphtheria it exceeds London, but is about equal to
Camberwell; and that as regards scarlet fever and hooping
cough, it manifests a decided but not very large excess over
magnify in similar proportion fever-deaths in other parts of London, I have
considered it more just, for the purposes of comparison, to retain the higher
number.