The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-02-15 00:00:00

HEALTH AND DISEASE.

l's Weekly Return.)

The [onion returns furnish satisfactory indications of
improvement of the public health. The deaths in the
metropolitan districts, which were 1,429 in the second
week of January, have shown a constant decrease during
the three mulm.equent weeks. In the week that ended
last Settirday they were 1,213. In the 10 years 1949-53
the average number of deaths in the weeks corres-
ponding with last week was 1,196; but, as those in the
present return occurred in a population which hu in.
creased, they can only be compared with the average
raised in proportion to that inerease—namely, 1,314.
The comparison shows that the deaths of last week were
lee 71 than the number which would have beep i,.
Ii under the average rate of mortality.
The deaths from scarlatina fell heist week below 100,
after having ranged above that point, and fur the mesa
part to a considerable extent above it, since ihe end of
August. The number referred to in this bead ia the
table for last week is 92, which includes 16 from diph-
theria. The deaths from diphtheria occurred in the
fmllowing sub-districts :—one in Belgrave, three is
Gray's-in-lane, one in So:mien-town, three in Islington
West, one in St. George, Bloomsbury, one in St. James,
Clerkenwell, one in Kent-road, one in 'it. Peter, Wal•
worth, one in Battersea, one in Streatham, one in Peck-
ham, and one in Woolwich Dockyard. Besides these, a
death occurred from "measles and diphtheria" is IL/a-
lien-town. Six deaths occurred from scarlatina is the
district of Poplar, and five from the seine disease hi the
sub-district of St. Paul, Deptford. Smallpox will fatal
in 11 cases. Seven infanta and an adult died from
syphilis ; one person from intemperance, besides three
front deleriunt tremens. Eleven women died from
diseases incidental to childbearing. Two persons died
froui carbuncle. Thirty-four persons died from injuries,
incidental or otherwise, and amongst these are three
infinite who had been murdered, and two persons who
lied committed suicide. The deaths of two persons re-
sulted front want.. man and a woman died at the
advanced age of 'JO years, and a widow at the age Of
96 years.
Last week the births of 939 boys and 983 girls, in all
1,922 children, were registered in Landon. In the 10 COT.
responding weeks of the years 1849-58 the average
number wee 1,646.
.(t the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 2954 in.
Time readings of the inetrument varied (ruin 2925 in. on
Wednesday to 3009 in. on the next day. The mesa
temperature of the week was 396 deg., which is 21 deg.
above the average of the same week in 43 years ise
determined by Mr. Welsher). Both the highest and
lowest temperatures in the week occurred on Saturday,
the former having been 521 deg. and the latter 301 deg.
The extreme range of tenirrature both in the day and
the week was therefore 21'r. deg. The mean daily range
was 121mieg. The difference between the mean dew-point
temperature and air tesnperatuie was 5'S deg. The
mean degree of I lity of the air was AL Time mean
temperature of the water of the Ti.ames was 42 deg.
The wind blew generslly from the south-west. On
Thursday it blew from the north. Rain fell to the
amount of 0.40 in.

A by
arned

THE ErIDI.MIC DINITHERI A.—The bused contains a
report "On Diptheria," by the sanitary an 64104 of
that journal. which traces the first origin of this disease
to a period long antecedent to Hippocrates, and nearly
ouitemporary with Houser, it being then known as the
" Mahon Egyptiacum." It refers to similar epidemics
in Rome, Au. 40 ; in Holland, 1337 ; in Spain, 1600;
in Naples, 1619, when, out of a small population, it car-
ried off 5.000 persons. Diptheria. it would appear,
ravaged New York in 1771 and Inl3. The death of
Washington and the Einpreas Josephine are attributed
,to it. trim the careful study of the French epidemics
since that of Tours, in IM'2l, diptheria would appear to
have traversed nearly all the departments, pairing from
' the south littoral districts towards the centre. The epi-
demics which appear 111.0 it Clowly to resemble those
which have uccured to this country, are those of Paris
awl of Boulogne, in 1n53. The Lowe states that 334
deaths occurred from this cause in the cdy, 341 of those
who were carried off being ler ten years of age, and
that the Etiglith were the greatest sufferers. Both in
England and in France. diptheria has shown itself
regardless of nieteor..lo,tical, climatic, or cosmic in-
fluences, and careless of the limitations of heat, cold,
dryness, and moisture. Its course has been from the
aoutli-easteris counties towards the centre of the country,
and thence toward., the north. Its violence appears to
be greatly aggravated by domestic uncleauline., certain
predisposing individual conditions, and want of hygienic
arran4euients. Diphtheria is stated to be eminently
contagious ; so that the first precaution taken should be
the complete isolation of the patient attacked. It is
Feared that this precantiun has been greatly overlooked,
and hence, partly, the frequency with which diph-
theria has spread from one member of a family to ano-
ther until all have fallen.