The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-11-29 00:00:00

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Return.)

A low temperature of the air, which commenced on
the 9th inst., and oontinued during 11 days, has caused
the deaths in London to rise from 1,051, the number
returned in the previous week, to 1,Z13, the number
shown in the return of last week. In the 10 years
1849-58 the average number of deaths in the weeks cor-
responding with last week was 1,114 • but as the deaths
contained in the present return occurred in a population
which has increased, they should be compared with the
average raised in proportion to the increase—namely,
with 1,225. It will be seen from this statement that
the actual mortality agrees very closely with the result
obtained from calculation. . .

The cold and fogs of last week attacked the respiratory
organs, and the deaths from diseases which affect them,
not including plithisis, have risen from 179 to =S. In
the last four weeks the deaths from bronchitis have
been 58, 90, 102, and 138. Pneumonia or inflammation
of the lungs, the deaths referred to which head are
chiefly thows of children, has apparently not been fatally
aggravated by a weather, for the numbers assigned to
it in the last three weeks were 73. 60, and 811. Phlhisis
or consumption, rose from 132 in the previous week to
157 last week. That persons of advanced age have
lately suffered much appears from the fact that eight
nonagenarians are returned, four of whom when they
died were aged respectively 94, 95, 96, and 97 years.
Two children, twins, in one family, and two children,
also twins, in another. died, having been born prema-
turely; and three children of a carpenter's labourer,
being triplets, died of inanition in 'Winchester-court,
Pentonville. . .

Seven persons committed suicide, among whom was
a girl aged 17 years, who killed herself with prosaic
acad. Three widows died from " febris" in the work-
house, Mile-end New Town. Five children died of
measles in the sub-district of St. Jnhn, Westminster.
Scarlatina was fatal in 96 csses, diptheria in 9; of the
former 4 occurred in All Soula, Marylebone, 4 in
Kentish4own, 5 in Islington West, 5 in St. Gibe's
South. Sinsll-pox was fatal in 29 cases, 6of which oc-
curred in the Smallpox Hospital. All the victims of
this disease were children under 10 years of age, except
6, who has attained the age of 20 or upwards.
Dr. Thomson, the medical officer of health for Maryle-
bone, makes the following obeervations on small-pox in
St. john's-wood:—

"Nine cases of small-pox have come under treatment
at the Portland-town Free Dispensary, St. John's-wood,
within as many days. I am indebted for the facts to
the attention of William Orange, Esq., resident medical
officer. The first, • semi-confluent case, was a child
without any visible cicatrix, in St. John's-wood-terrace,
the family having coine from Highgate, a few days pre-
viously, where the disease prevailed. Her aunt, at 8,
Victoria-terrace, likewise without any visible cicatrix,
caught the disease. The eruption was' very fall.' In
two children with good scars, at 27, New Street, the
eruption appeared very mildly. Another case occurred
at 8, Upper William-street, with scarcely any scar. The
mother stated the girl to have been vaccinated, but
added 'she had no faith at all in vaccination.' llime
children, at 6, Henry-place, who bad been protected by
vaccination, had the disease very mildly. The last case
was that of a girl at 28, Vietori4-terreee, with two good
wan, and who had been playing with some of the in

fected children. The eruption 'in moderately full.'
Hitherto there has been no fatality in these cases."
Of bricklayers Ave died in the week, of bricklayers'
wives five, of bricklayers' children Awe; of carpenters
nine died, of earpenteri wives six, of carpenters' child-
ren 22; of masons two died, of masons' wives two, of
n,ssons' children three; of painters four died, of pain'
ters wives three, of painters' children 13; of plasterers
two died, of plasterers' wives two, a plasterers children
two. . . _

fruit week the births 0(9704 boys and 902 girls—in all
1,860 children were registert-d in London. In the ten
corresponding weeks of the years 1,449-58 the average
number was 1.526.

_
At the Royal Olmervatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 30.150 inch.
The mean daily reading was above 30 in. throughout
the week, the same remark having been applicable
also to the last four days of the previous week. The
barometer fell trout 30.27 in. on Sunday and 30115
on Thursday. being respectively the highest
and lowest in the week. The mean tempera-
ture of the air in the week was 37.6 deg..
which is 5.1 below the average of the same week in 43
years. The mean daily temperature was below the
average on every day, and on Monday and Tuesday
this depression was more than 9 deg. The thermometer
in the shade fell to 255 deg. on Monday, the lowest
point in the week; and it rose to 49 deg. on Saturday
week, the highest The range in the week was there-
fore 23.5 deg. The mean daily range was 15.9 deg.
The difference between the mean dew-point tempera-
ture and air temperature was 2.9 deg. The mean de-
gree of humidity of the air was W.); on Tuesday the
humidity reached 1(X). the point which represents com-
plete saturation. The mean temperature of the water
of the Thames was 44.8 deg. There were fogs more or
less dense on Monday and Tuesday; and on these days
the air was mostly calm, and the temperature of
the Thames was about 45 deg., which was higher than
the highest temperature of the air, and 19 deg. above
the lowest. The wind blew from the S.E. on Sunday,
in the middle of the week from N.N.E., and on the
last two days from the south west. The rain was
measured in the week.