The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-27 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURLNG THE WEEK.

(Front the Iteristrar Central% Return.)

The weekly return still discovers a high rate of
mortality, though some improvement is ohnerved in the Last
as compared with earlier weeks of thin month. The deaths
in the week ending July 26th were 956; in August they
rose successively to 1,019, 1,038, and 1,061 ; and they have
again declined to 956. In the corresponding week of 1849,
when epidemic cholera was raging, the total mortality rose
to 2,458 deathn, more than half of which were the conse-
quence of its fatal violence ; in the same week of 1847 it
rose to 1,057; but, with these exceptions, the number regis-
tered last week in higher than any of the corresponding
weeks of 18U-60.
Of the 916 persons who died last week, 502 were children
under 15 yearn of age, 262 were 13 years or older but under
60 years, and 184 had reached 60 yearn or upwards. 290
children, whose deaths are now recorded, had not attained
one year of age.
In the summer returns epidemics are in the ascendant,
and this elms now includes 314 fatal cases. Of this number
168 are due to diarrhoea, dysentery, and cholera; next in
amount is typhus, which with remittent fever, rheumatic,
&e., counts 64 ; small pox and measles number each 16;
scarlatina, 18; hooping cough, 21; croup, 15 ; and
thrush, 10.
Though scarlatina does not spread fatally at the present
time, particular families have suffered severely ; and, in
the notes of registrars, • court in Deptford is reported
where this disease in the malignant form has carried off two
children, while a third has also been attacked in the same
family, the house being without drainage, and consequently
subject to an accumulation of nuisance.
The tubercular class in the table of this week is second in
numerical importance; it comprises scrofula, which was
the fatal cause in 10 cases, tabes mesenterica, and hydroce-
phalus, which number respectively 14 and 20, and phthiais
(or consumption) a hich numbers 126. The mortality from
this last-mentioned disease is about the ordinary amount.
The deaths ascribed to the diseases of the respiratory
organs are 72, those from diseases of thedigestive organs
63, neither of these results differing much from the aver-
age at this season of the year.
Twenty deaths from cholera were registered in the week.
The births of 772 boys and 683 girl., in all 1,45-5 chil-
dren, were registered in the week. The average of six
corresponding weeks in 184-5-60 was 1.281.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean reading
of the barometer was above 30 in. on 3loaday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday ; and the mean of the week wan 29941 in. The
mean temperature of the week win 638 deg., or about 3 deg.
above the average of the same week in ten years. The tem-
perature was highest on Thursday and Friday, the highest
on each day having been 79 8 deg., and the mean about 68
deg., which is more than 7 deg. above the average. The
wind geaerally blew from the south-west.

Sealers Flar..—Yesterday, shortly after noon, a
fire occurred in Prior Grove, Bolton-field., Brampton,
below the hospital for the cure of consumption. Mr. R.
Trower, of No. 2, College-street, Chelsea, has a row of
first-elan houses in course of erection in the above grove,
and indeed they had been completed, with the exception
of put ling in the windows, and! some internal arrange.
meats. At 12 o'clock the workmen went to dinner
as usual, leaving a tire burning on the hearth in the
lower portion of one of the houses. The wind get-
ting op, some of the embers were wafted on to a pile of
shavings, which immediately ignited, and in an incredible
short space of time, the whole building was in dames. An
adjoining house then caught, and speedily shared the tame
fate, and when the brigade arrived the entire grove seemed
doomed to destruction. 'the engines, however, were
quickly got into operation, and the conflagration was at
length stayed. The loss will prove rather bi'asy, and it is
understood that the buildings were not insured.