The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-26 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE

WEEK.

( From the Report of the Registrar-General.)

It was shown in the last report that London had suf-
fered an increase of mortality, the effect of cold weather.
In the week that ended last Saturday, though the rigour
of the weather was not mitigated, but augmented, the
number of deaths registered was not quite equal to that
of the preceding week ; the numbers in the tavo periods
having been 1,271 and 1,257. It is agreeable to experi-
ence, as well as reasonable in itself, that some time will
elapse before the effects of a change of temperature are
fully manifested in the registration.
The rate of mortality which prevailed last week ap-
proaches very nearly the average rate of London in the
third week of December.

This return includes the deaths of 634 males and 623
females. 44 men and women died whose lives had been
prolonged to 80 years or upwards. The deaths produced
by bronchitis received a considerable accession ; for hav-
ing been 119 iu each of the two previous weeks, they
rose last week to 161, of which 45 occurred to persons
under 20 years of age, and almost exclusively infants ; 9
tleAN.f tlbe..o.cres of 20 and 40 ;39 in the period 4060 ;
rians. The deaths from pneumonia or inflammation of the
lungs, amounting to 80, and falling principally among
children, are not so numerous as in some previous weeks.
Against 60 from bronchitis in the period of life 60-SO
years are to be set 60 from phthisis (or consumption),
which occurred in that period of greater vigour, 20 or 40
years, being about half of the total number from this dis-
ease. Fatal cases of typhus rose from 45 to 65, of which
there were 10 in Shoreditch ; of these 10 four occurred
in Ilaggerstone West. Typhus, measles, hooping-cough,
and scarlatina prevail now more in the east districts
than in the other divisions of London. Four deaths from
scarlatina occurred in Hoxton Old Town. Three deaths
were registered as caused by intemperance, 4 by deli-
rium tremens, 3 by carbuncle, one by v ant of the neces-
saries of life.
Last week the births of 759 boys and 763 girls, in all
' 1,522 children, were registered in London. In the ten
corresponding weeks of the years 1845.51 the average
number was 1,431.
There was a full moon on Saturday. At the Royal
Observatory, Greenwich, the highest reading of the ba-
rometer wee 30.19 in. in the morning of Wednesday.
The mean reading of the week was 29.939 in. The mean
temperature of the week was 28 2 deg., which is 10.3
deg. below the average of the same week in 38 years.
The mean of the previous week was 321 deg. The air
was coldest on Friday and Saturday, the mean tempe-
rature on those days having been respectively 18.5 deg.,
and 17 deg. below the average. On Saturday the ther-
mometer fell to 16.9 deg., the lowest point in the week.
The highest temperature was 42 deg., and occurred on
Sunday (the 16th). The mean daily temperature
was below the average throughout the week ; and
on every day after Tuesday the extent of depres-
sion was more than 13 deg, The mean dew point
temperature was 19.2 deg., and the difference between
this and the mean air temperature was 9 deg. The
mean temperature of the water of the Thames was 35.3
deg. The wind, which had been generally in the east,
changed on Saturday to north-east, and in the evening
to south-west. On several days the air is described by
the observer as " remarkably dry." On Saturday night
snow fell ; the character of the weather suddenly changed,
and at midnight the temperature was 6 deg. higher than
it had been three hours before.

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS,
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED
IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, DEC. 22.
Zymotic Diseases
Diseases of Uncertain Seat
173
Tubercular Diseases ••
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves and Senses
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 33
Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of
Respiration
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs ,
of Digestion
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c.
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
Malformations 8
Premature Birth and Debility 2B
Atrophy
Old Age
Sudden 25
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 73
Causes not specified

DEATHS MOM ALL CAUSES
Population Deaths in cone- Deaths
Enumerated. sponding week in the
1851. of 1854. Week.
West Districts
North Districts 490,396
Central Districts 393,256
East Districts 485,522
South Districts

1,291

Totals
Males 634
Females 623
BIRTHS IN TIIE WEEK.

1,257

Males
Females

Total 1,522

THE AFRICAN MAIL.—The departure of the African
mail packet Gambia, Commander Bolt, is
postponed
until to-day, at four o'clock p.m., when she will leave
Plymouth for Madeira and the West Coast of Africa:
CURIOUS POSITION OF A WREN'S NEST.—Two f 3W-
yers were cutting a log of Stettin oak, 26 inches squar
oe,
at Sunderland. About the centre of the log a large hle
was discovered, 101 inches in length by 71 inches in
breadth, filled with' moss, feathers, hair, &c., and con-
taining seven birds' eggs, which, from their diminutive
from
size, are considered to be wren's eggs. The tree,
its immense size, is supposed to be of about 150 years
L growth. The moss forming the wren's nest was as
Ifresh as if it had only been pulled yesterday. —Durir cola
Chronicle.