The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-21 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN COMMISSION OF

SEWERS.

A special court of this commission was held yesterday
at the office, Greek-street, Soho, Mr Jebb, chairman,
presiding, for the audit of the accounts for the year end-
ing the 31st Dec., 1854, and for general business.
The SECRETARY presented his financial report, by
which it appeared that the balance in the hands of the
treasurer on 16th February was 47,849/. Os. 10d,, add-
ing to which the amount of checks drawn but not yet
presented, 1,453/. 7s. 6d., gave an available balance
of 46,395/, 13s. 4d. The amount of deposit account,
80,0001., increased that balance to 126,3951.135. 4d.
Mr. ANDOE, the Government Auditor, in reply to
Mr. Pascoe, said he had gone carefully through the az-
counts, compared them with the vouchers, and found
them correct. He acknowledged the facilities for pro-
curing information that had been afforded him in every
department, and expressed his approval of the accurate
and satisfactory manner in which the various accounts
had been kept.
The business•paper for the day present
bweyhi:icnhd,
this, matters of mere routine, having dispose
the Court adjourned.

Ia the week that ended Ton Saturday the deaths of
1,475 persons—namely, 741 males and 734 femalel,
were registered in London. The mortality which, since
the cold weather set in, was highest is the last week of
January, has in the subsequent weeks exhibited a do•
crease, but it is still much above the ordinary amount.
The numbers in the last five weeks have run thus :-
1,549, 1,630, 1,604, 1,546, and 1,475. The mean tem-
perature in the same periods has been, 28'9, 29.3, 291,
30'9, and (last week) 25.4.
In the 10 corresponding weeks of 1845-54 the average
number of deaths was 1,086, and if this is raised in
proportion to increase of population it becomes 1,195.
The result of the comparison is, that there died last
week, in addition to what is usual in the middle of
February, 280 persons, whose lives have been shortened
by the sharp and long-continued frost. The average
temperature of the 10 corresponding weeks was 36'5 ;
the temperature of last week is no less than 11.1 below
that value, and it is also below the temperature of any
week in the series, in which the coldest weeks were
those of 1845 and 1847, when the mean temperatures
were 29 degs. and 26 degs.
The deaths registered last week are distributed over
five periods of life, as follows :-658 occurred under 20
years of age ; 198 at 20 and under 40 years ; 255 at 40
years and under 60 ; 302 at 60 and ander 80 years ; 62
at 80 years and upwards. It will be seen, on reference
to the table of fatal diseases, that while upwards of 100
persons died in the first, third, and fourth vicenniades
of life from diseases of the respiratory organs, only 33
deaths occurred among young men and women between
20 and 40 years of age, that period which is best quali-
fied to resist the inclemency of winter. Bronchitis was
fatal in 218 cases, pneumonia in 114, asthma in 42,
phthisis in 159, hooping-cough in 77, and influenza in
10 cases. Small-pox carried off 29 children and 4 adults.
This disease seems to prevail much in Plumstead, where
four deaths occurred from it.

Last week the births of 903 boys and 912 girls, in all
1,815 children, were registered in London. In the 10
corresponding weeks of the years 1845-54 the average
number was 1,461.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.518
inches. The reading of the barometer increased to 29.85
by 9 a.m. on Friday, and, after decreasing, rose to
❑eaarly the same value by the end of the week. The
mean temperature was 25.4, which is 13.3 below the
average of the same week in 38 years. The man daily
temperature was 12.7 below the average on Sunday,
and on the following days the extent of depression was
as follows :-9.4 on Monday, 13.2 on Tuesday, 14.2 on
Wednesday, 12.3 on Thursday, 14.4 on Friday, and 17.2
on Saturday. The highest temperature in the week
occurred on Sunday, and was 36.5 ; the lowest on Wed-
nesday, and was 13.8. The highest on Wednesday was
34 deg. Early on the morning of Sunday, the 11th, the
temperature was so low as 7 deg. in the neighbourhood
of Greenwich. The mean ;dew-point temperature was
21.8 ; and the difference between this and the mean air
temperature was 3.6. The mean temperature of the
water of the Thames was 34 deg. for the first five days ;
afterwards the instruments could not be raised on account
of thick ice. The wind blew from the north, except en
Friday.

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS.
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED

IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, FEB. 17.

Zymotic Diseases
Diseases of Uncertain Seat
Tubercular Diseases .. 216
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves and Senses
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 62
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

Disease; of the Skin,
Malformations
Premature Birth and Debility 45
Atrophy 4l
Old Age
Sudden
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 3O
Causes not specified

DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES .
Population Deaths in corre- Deaths
Enumerated. sponding week in the
1851. of 1853. Week
West Districts
North Districts 490,396
Central Districts 393,256
East Districts 485,522
South Districts

1,475

Total;
Males
Females

1,475
741
734

1,154