[Report 1885] / Medical Officer of Health, Birmingham.

  • Birmingham (England). Council.
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1885] / Medical Officer of Health, Birmingham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/136 (page 5)
    6 favourably with that of the previous year, which was only 1*41. The larger amount of this year’s natural increase is the result of the gratifying circumstance that the number of persons who died during 1885 was nearly 900 fewer than in 1884. As the area of the Borough continues unaltered, whilst the population is considered, and doubtless rightly, to be ever increasing, it follows as a matter of course that the mean density of the population continues to become greater. Last year’s estimate of the population furnishes 50-9 as the mean number of persons per acre. This statement, however, gives very little idea of the density of our population on any given area, for it goes without saying that the density of population in some parts of our Borough bears no possible comparison with that of other portions. Taking the Borough as a whole, the average number of persons per acre has increased from an estimate of 42-4, when I took office in 1873, to the present figure 50-9, so that it is computed that in twelve years the mean density of the popula- tion of the Borough has been augmented by twenty per cent. It is a generally recognised fact that the proportion of sickness and mortality in any locality corresponds, other things being equal, with the density of its inhabitants ; in Birmingham, however, the converse of this has for many years held good, clearly showing that beneficial agencies have been at work which have more than neutralised the untoward influence of a constantly progressing density. The nature of some, at least, of these beneficial agencies will be referred to later on. The following statement contains estimates of the population at the middle of the year, the number of persons to the acre, and the total Death-rate in some of the principal towns of the kingdom for the year in question :— Population, Density, and Death-rate of certain Towns. Estimated Population, 1885. No. of Persons per Acre. Death-rate. London 4,083,928 54-2 19-6 Liverx)ool... 579,724 111-3 23-7 Birmingham ... 427,769 50-9 19*1 Manchester 337,342 78-6 26-4 Sheffield 305,716 15-6 20-6 Leeds 333,139 15-4 19-9 Salford 204,075 39-5 21-0 K ewcastle - on - Tyne 153,209 28-5 26-0 Norwich ... 91,215 12-2 20-2 Bristol 218,169 47-1 19-6 Glasgow ... 519,965 86-2 25-7 Dubhn 353,082 14-3 28-4 Natural Increase {Continued). Area. Density. Connection between mortality and density. Comparative Statement of Death-rate, &c., in certain large towns.