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

View report page

St Giles (Camberwell) 1878

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell]

This page requires JavaScript

70
tained at a fairly uniform rate, and, on the whole, in
fair accordance with their rate of growth previously to
1871. In the second place, we all know that the
population of the Peckham district has been increasing
for some years past with remarkable, and
at the same time, with irregular rapidity; and, under
these circumstances, it would be surprising if the rules
deduced from its rate of increase between 1801 and
1871 were found still to govern the growth of its
population. There can be no doubt, in fact, and the
numbers of births and deaths, and the numbers of newly
built and inhabited houses, alike confirm the conclusion,
that its population must be far in excess of what its
former rate of increase alone might justify us in
assuming. And it may, I think, be safely asserted,
that the larger of the two estimates of population and
consequently the lower of the two estimates of the
death-rate which I have deduced for Peckham, are
not far from the truth. It need scarcely be added
that the estimated population of the Parish must of
course increase with this estimated rise for Peckham;.
and that hence, if my views be accepted as regards
Peckham, the larger of my estimates of the population
of the Parish, and the lower of my estimates of its
death-rate must also be accepted. Dulwich occupies
and has always occupied, an exceptional position ; its-