The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-16 00:00:00

SANATORY CONDITION OF THE CITY.

Dr LETHEBY, the medical officer of health, presented to
the Court the following report on the sanatory condition of
the City during the past fortnight :

To the Hon. the Commissioners of Sewers of the City o

London.

6' Gentlemen,—The inspector's returns which are before
you relate to 364 houses which have been inspected during
the fortnight, and I submit a list of 36 places for sanatory
improvement. The markets and slaughterhouses have been
duly inspected, and the officers have condemned 5,4321 b of
meat as unfit for human food, most of which was in a dis-
eased condition. _ _

" 113 births and 117 deaths have been registered during
the fortnight. The average number of deaths for the
corresponding period of the last nine years is 115. The
mortality returns are therefore close to the average. 33 of
the deaths were among children of less than five years of
age, and 35 were among persons of 60 and upwards. The
chief causes of death were as follow :—Phthisis, 14, pneuA
monia 11, bronchitis 18, mesenteric disease 9, continued
favor 5, scarlet fever 4, dysentery 2, croup 2, and measles,
diphtheria, whooping cough, and infantile diarrhea, of each
one—making together 23 deaths of tubercular diseases ; 29
from inflammatory affections of the lungs, and 18 from
diseases of a zymotic character.
Dr LETHEBY stated that the illuminating power of the
gas supplied to the City for the week ending the sth inst.
had been, except on one occasion with the Great Central
Gas. equal to the requirements of the act of Parliament ;
and the average proportion of sulphur in the gas of each of
the companies had been from 19 to 20 grains. He added
further that the illuminating power of the gas supplied dur-
ing the past week by the three companies, had been equal
to the requirements of the act of Parliament, and the ave-
rage amount of sulphur had been 18.1 grains per 100
feet of the City gas, 20 3 grains of the Chartered, and 20.8
of the Great Central.
The Court soon afterwards adjourned.

HEALTH OF LONDON.

(From the Registrar-General's Report.)

The returns of London for the week that ended last Satur-
day exhibit a groat increase in the mortality. The deaths,
which had been in the two previous weeks 1,409 and 1,454,
rose last week to 1,586. The (Laths of young persons, viz,,
under 20 years of age, rose from less than 800 to 877 ; and
those of persons GO years old and upwards rose from less
than 250 to 280.

The average number of deaths for the 45th week of 10
previous years, 1854-63, is, with a correction for increase of
population, 1,270. The actual number is therefore in excess
of the estimated number by 307 deaths.
Bronchitis and pneumonia have chiefly contributed to the
sudden increase on the results of former weeks. The former
disease was fatal in 204 cases (the corrected average being
only 122) ; the latter in 165 cases, against an average of 98.
Phthisis was less fatal in the week than either of those dis,
eases, and did not exhibit a similar increase. The deaths
from it were 140.

Small-pox was returned in 14 cases, scarlatina in 81,
diphtheria in 15, typhus in 98. Twelve deaths from scar-
latina occurred in Deptford, Greenwich, and Woolwich.
The daughter of a watch finisher, aged 11 years, died on
the 6th inst. at 51, Bath-street, City-road, of haemorrhage
from typhoid fever accelerated by exposure, want of the ne-
cessaries et life, and of proper medical attendance, Inquest.
And a woman, a boot-binder, aged 48 years, died on the
31st ult. at 5, Now-street, Aldgate, from pleurisy accele-
rated by want of nourishment. Inquest,
A boy died from the bit^ of a dog.
Last week the births of 1,003 boys and 991 girls, in all
1,994 children, were registered in London. In the 10 cor-
responding weeks of the years 1854-63 the average number
(corrected) was 1,917.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height
of the barometer in the week was 29.991 in. The readings
rose to 30.49 in on Sunday, and fell to 2963 in on Satur-
day. The mean temperature of the air in the week was 37'5
deg., which is 7.1 deg. below the average of the same week
in 43 years (as determined by Mr Glaisher). The mean
daily temperature was below the average throughout the
week, and on four days the extent of this depression was
about 8 or 9 deg. The highest day temperature was 49 deg.
on Sunday. The lowest night temperature was 25.9 deg. on
Thursday. The range of temperature in the week was
therefore 23.1 deg. The mean daily range was 14.6 deg.
fhe mercury fell below the freezing point of water on five
nights. The difference between the mean dew-point tem-
perature and air temperature was 5.3 deg. The mean de-
gree of humidity of the air was 81, complete saturation being
represented by 100. The wind blew chiefly from the north
awl north-east. On Tuesday it was in the south—west.
There was no rain except a:little on Saturday night. There
was dense fog on three mornings.

Disgraceful Conduct in a Railww Carriage

in Ireland.

On Saturday evening at the Knock Station on the County
Down Railway, upon the arrival of the train which left
Belfast for Downpatrick at 5 o'clock, the guard (Branagh)
was called.to a first-class carriage by a lady who requested
with two or three other ladies, to be shown to another com-
partment, as they were afraid to remain where they were,
as the only gentleman in the compartment with them, they
said. was conducting himself Fn such a manner that they
were afraid to remain. The guard at once removed the
ladies to another compartment, but could not ascertain
from the ladies how the gentleman had annoyed them.
On the arrival of the train at the Combo station, a
young man who was about to enter the compartment
the ladies had left, went to Branagh and told him that
the gentleman in that compartment had a revolver in
his hand, and that he was afraid to enter. The guard,
followed by Mr Campbell, the station master, entered
the compartment, but had no sooner done so than the gen-
tleman put a revolver to Branagh's breast. Branagh, with
great presence of mind, knocked the extended arm towards
the ground, and after a struggle took the revolver from him.
The gentleraf.n was apparently unconscious of his acts, as
he was under the influence of drink, and had the appear-
ance of having been drinking for two or three days. On
examining the revolver it was found to be loaded with bul-
lets in four chambers. Tho gentleman demanded the re-
volver from the guard, who, upon refusing, received the
greatest abuse for " daring to take a gentleman's property."
After some flu ther delay the train proceeded on its way. On
arriving at Downpatrick the guard called one of the con-
stabulary who was on the platform, and informed him of
the circumstances, handing the pistol to him, and then
conducted him to the compartment where the gentleman
was asleep. Mr Keown, J.P., happened to be on the plat-
form, and the policeman communicated the intelligence to
him. Having roused the gentleman, Mr Keown told the
guard he knew him, and asked what he intended doiisg.
The guard replied that he was bcund to prosecute, and
would do so, no matter who the party was. Mr Keown then
had the gentleman conducted to one of the waiting rooms,
where the revolver was examined, and it was said that the
gentleman had a case of them with him. It appears he was
examining the revolver while the ladies were in the car-
riage, but whether he presented it to any of them is not
as yet known, as the ladies do not wish to have their names
brought forward in connection with the case. The guard
having persisted in prosecuting the gentleman, Mr Keown
took informations and committed him for trial at the quar-
ter sessions, bail being accepted. The guard was unable to
come to Belfast with the last train, and had to remain in
Downpatrick all night, informations,
the &c., not being
completed before the train started at seven p.m,— freeman s
lournd.