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

Lewisham 1878

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham]

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SURVEYOR'S REPORT
Of work executed from Lady-day, 1878, to Lady-day, 1879.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour of submitting my Tenth Annual Report.
HIGHWAYS.

Table: TABLE VIII.The Area, Census Population in 1861 and 1871, Estimated Population in 1878, and Mortality in variousMetropolitan Districts and in England and Wales, &c.

TABLE VIII.

The Area, Census Population in 1861 and 1871, Estimated Population in 1878, and Mortality in various

Metropolitan Districts and in England and Wales, &c.

Places.Area in Square Miles.Enumerated Population.Population estimated to the middle of 1878.Average Annual Mortality per 1,000 in the 10 years 1861.70.Annual Rate of Mortality in 1878.
1861.1871.
Metropolitan and City Police Districts698.03,223,9423,885,6414,450,01523.620.7
Registration London122.02,803,9893,254,2603,577,30424.421.9
Districts outside Registration London583.9419,953633,209872,71118.716.0
England and Wales58,31920,066,22422,704,10824,854,39722.420.4
Scotland31,3243,062,2943,358,6133,593,929
Ireland32,5245,798,9675,402,7595,433,640

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Note.—This quantity of material includes that used upon the Greenwich Boundary
Road-. Sydenham-hill, and gravel for tar-paving repairs; also the improvements which
have been charged to Highways, and the material in hand on the 25th of March.
On account of the heavy rainfalls during the year, the floods
in the spring (succeeded by severe and lasting frosts in the winter)
have made the year the worst I have had during ten years for
maintaining the roads. Notwithstanding the wet season, at the
present time they can be favourably compared with any roads in
London. Throughout the whole of the year they have been
scarcely ever dry, and I was compelled to use a larger quantity
than I anticipated of Granite and Port Philip stone, in order to
keep them up. Had I allowed the roads to get out of repair, the
ultimate cost to the Board would have been much greater. I
consider the traffic on the highways generally is increasing. Great
attention has been paid to the sweeping and cleansing of the roads.
About 12,300 cubic yards of sweepings, &c., were removed from the