The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-02 00:00:00

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THE HEALTH OF LONDON.

It appears from the return issued by authority
of the Registrar-General, that in the week that ended on
Saturday, December 'A the births registered in London
and twelve other large towns of the United Kingdom
were 3.993 ; the deaths registered, 3,071. The annual rate
of mortality wax 26 per 1,000 persons living. In Lon-
don the births of 990 boys and 910 girls, in all 1,900
children, were registered is the week. In the corre-
sponding weeks of ten years 18M-63 the average number,
corrected for increase of population, was 1,871. The
deaths registered in London during the week were 1,436.
It was the fifty-ea:end week of the year ; and the average
number of deaths for that week is, with a correction for
increase of population, 1,554. The deaths in the pre-
sent return are less than the estimated number by 118.
The daughter of a pen merchant, aged 16 years, died on
23rd December, at 3, Boar's Head-yard. Whitechapel, of
cholera Asiatics (14 hours). Fourteen deaths front diarrhora
were registered during the week. Small-pox proved fatal
to 97 children and 8 adults ; it was not stated in the
returns that in any case the patient had been vaccinated.
In the sub-district of Christchurch, Marylebone, 5 deaths
from small-pox we-e registered. The registrar of the sub-
district of St. Giles, south, remarks that " small-pox is
very prevalent, and great inconvenience is felt from the
want of proper accommodation for patients suffering from
the disease." Twenty-five deaths from measles, 41 from
scarlatina, 19 from diphtheria, 58 from whooping-cough,
and 41 from typhus, were registered during the week. The
influence of the temperature on the mortality from diseases
of the respiratory organs is very great. In the week
which ended October 13 the nman temperature of the air
was 52.4 deg., and the deaths from bronchitis were 89 ;
as the air became colder the deaths from bronchitis
increased ; last week the mean temperature was 44.0
deg., and the deaths registered from bronchitis were 224.
Eight deaths from burns or scalds were registered in the
week; one of the unfortunate victims was a domestic
servant, whose clothes took tire when distended by crino-
line. A child, seed one year, died on the 21st December
in consequence of swallowing mistletoe berries.
The annual rate of mortality last week was 24 per
1,000 in London, Zi in Edinburgh, sad 214 in Dublin ; 25
in Bristol, 26 in Birmingham. XI in liverpool, 30 in Man-
chester, 25 in Salford, 26 in Sheffield, 27 in Leeds, 23 in
Hull, 37 in Neweaatle•upon-Tyne, rind 27 in Glasgow.
The high rate of mortality which has prevailed during the
past thirteen weeks in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, has been
caused by au unusually fatal epidemic of scarlatina, from
which 220 deaths have resulted in the past seven weeks,
oat of • total of 601 deaths.

LIABILITIES or RAILWAY DIRECTORS.—There la
a provision in the new act on railway securities, under
which loan capital martinis are to be filed during the pre-
sent month, that if a director or registered officer signs an
Recount or statement, kr,owing the same to be false in
any ;articular, he is to be deemed guilty of an offence,
and to be liable to fine or iniprisonincut on an indictment,
or on a summary conviction to a penalty of 101.
In the course of yesterday the following dona-
tions to the fund for the relief of the sufferers by the
recent colliery explosions were received at the Mansion-
house :—Lord Vernon, 200/. ; Messrs. Barclay, Perkins,
and Co., 100/. ; the Marquis of Northampton, 501. ; the
servants at Sandringham Hell (the seat of the Prince of
Wales), 111. Ba. 6d.; from the alms boxes of St. John's
church, East Dulwich, 28/. 15s. 10d. ; collection at St.
Mark's, South Norwood, 34/. 15s. 101. ; collection at
Bexley church, 181. 7s. sd. ; collection at Bromley church,
211. 13s. :id. ; collection at Stourbridge church, 12/. 17a. ;
oallection at East ltetford church, 131. 6s. Bd. ; Colonel
Charterie, 15/.: collection at a breakfast party, 16/. ; sad
front the inmates of the Hospital for lawareldes at Putney,
21.103.