“The Priest was, you perceive, the Medical Officer of Health under the Jewish law, and this text of Leviticus is the 13th section of the Diseases Prevention Act….
“From what I see of the parish we cannot without inconveniently close packing hold many more.[79]
“The growth of our parish is not from births alone; some persons of course immigrate from other parts of England, but the greater part come from Ireland, bringing with them disease and poverty….
“I am afraid that the poor of other parishes are forced upon us. We increase in poverty, and, paradoxical as it looks, the poorer we get the more we shall have to pay.
“There are now from 6–7,000 cases of illness per year attended by the poor-law surgeons.
“Our poor work at the waterside, in the city, and at the docks; their productive labour helps to pay the rates of other parishes, but in difficulty and sickness they live and lean upon us.
“Now as to overcrowding:—
| In Lewisham | there are | 2 | persons to an acre. | ||
| „ | Camberwell | „ | 13 | „ „ „ | |
| „ | Rotherhithe | „ | 21 | „ „ „ | |
| „ | All London | „ | 30 | „ „ „ | |
| „ | Newington | „ | 104 | „ „ „ | |
| While we have | 184 | „ „ „ | |||
| And in one of the | |||||
| parts of the parish | 244 | „ „ „ | |||
“Our parish is now almost completely built over.