The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-17 00:00:00

CHOLERA AND DIARRHEA RETURNS.

In addition to the usual weekly tables of morta,
llty, the publication of a daily table, giving the particulars
of every death in London, was commenced by the Regis-
trar-General on Monday, August 6, when 264 deaths from
cholera and diarrheas were registered, with the view of
supplying the medical health officers and the local &Oho.
rites with information. That series of tables was disoon-
tinned on Saturday, October 6, when the deaths from
cholera and diarrhoea all over London were 48. It has
been represented to the Registrar-General that the daily
publication is still of great use, and that daily information
L required by the public. Under these circumstaooes,
the daily publication of the particulars of every registered
death from cholera and diarrhoea is resumed, and will be
continued so long ea it is considered in any way useful.
Ibis-right to add that the returns have, since August 6,
been forwarded from every part of Landon daily to the
General Register-office by the 136 registrars, who are
paid by fees on each birth and death registered, and are
often engaged in buaineu or in professions. In sonic dis-
tricts of East London, when the mortality was at its
height, their duties were increased five or ten fold; infor-
mants fresh from the death-beds of cholera patients filled
their offioes, and some of their relatives succumbed under
the disease. In difficult times they have thus bad east
on them additional labour, which will no doubt be duly
considered by the public.
Deaths registered on Sunday and Monday, Oct. 14
and :
'Cholera.

Diarrhoea.

West districts
North districts l3
Central districts 5
East districts 7
South districts ....... 13

....... .... 3

Total in London
General Ilegiater-ollee, Somerset Howe, Oct 16.

THE HEALTH OP LONDON.

It appears from the return issued by authority
of the Registrar-General that in the week that ended
on Sate y, October 13th, the births registered in London
and twelve other large towns of the United Kingdom were
4,216 ; the deaths registered 2,999. The annual rate of
mortality was 23 per 1,000 persons living. In London the
births of 1,052 boys and 1,021 girls, in all 2,073 children,
were registered in the week. In the corresponding weeks
of ten years 1856.65 the average number, corrected for
increase of population. was 1,955. The deaths registered
in London during the week were 1,353. It was the
forty-first week of the year ; and the average number of
deaths for that week is, with a correction for increase of
population, 1,222. The actual number exceeds the
estimated number by 131. Zymotio discerns proved
fatal to 459 persons, the corrected average
being 348. There were 24 deaths from small-
pox, 21 from measles, 36 from scarlatina, five from
diphtheria, 27 from whooping-cough, and 47 from diarrhea.
111 deaths from cholera and 47 from diarrhea, making
254 deaths from the two forma, were registered during the
week ; 38 in the west districts, 41 in the north, 44 in the
central, 82 in the east, and 49 in the south districts. The
mortality is lowest, taking population into account, in
the south and north, highest in the central and in the east
districts. Many of the deaths oecur in the various hospi-
tals. The mortality of epidemic cholera and diarrhea has
only yet !attained high proportions in the east London
water field from known causes ; and in the last six weeks
the deaths all over London have been 289, 292, 248, 244,
251, 254. In the epidemic of the year 1854 the deaths by
cholera and diarrhea in the corresponding weeks were
2,326, 1,781, 1,474, 919, 509, and 351. The deaths since
the first week in September 1866 have been 1,578 ; in the
corresponding air weeks of 1854, the deaths from cholera
and disrrhors were 7,360. At the cholera rates
of 1854, the deaths in the last six weeks, corrected for
increase of population, would have been 8,929 ; the deaths
have been 1,5.8. Here are 7,351 lives saved. This is
encouraging. Incessant attention should be given to the
disinfection of the sewage of towns on the Thames and the
Lea above the intake of the London water companies ; and
it would be exceedingly satisfactory to learn that the
engineers see some way, such as Dr. Franirlan suggested,
to the effectual filtration of the London waters. To facili-
tate the extirpation of cholera the daily return of deaths
will be continued, and if the health officer, will report
what proceedings are taken in each case the weekly sum-
mary will show the vigilance of the local authorities, and
the use they make et the information placed at their dis-
posal. Experience proves that destruction of the cholera
poison is rarely ever effected in bad districts unless it is
carried out under the eyes of medical visitors ; and in the
name way premonitory diarrheas is neglected. The danger
of the whole metropolis is thus indefinitely protracted.
The annual rate of mortality last week was 23 per
1,000 in London, 24 in Edinburgh, and 38 in Dublin ;
14 in Bristol, 20 in Birmingham, 39 in Liverpool, 25 in
Manchester, tki in Salford, 19 in Sheffield, 30 in Leeds, 25
in Hull, 35 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and 27 in Glasgow.
The rate in Vienna was 94 per 1,000 during the week end-
ing the 29th ult., when the temperature was 8.5 dogs.
Fahrenheit higher than in the same week in London,
where the rate was 23 per 1,000 ; the 1,007 deaths included
672 from cholera. No more recent official return from this
city has yet been received.