The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-04 00:00:00

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

By the ship Agincourt we have received intelligence
from the Cape to the 10th of March. There is no men-
tion of the Megmra or the Hydra. The Legislative
Council had voted 5001. towards the relief of the sufferers
from the loss of the Birkenhead.
Sir Harry Smith was to have taken the field on the
Bth inst. in person. A considerable number of Burghers
•were expected to join. He had heard of his removal,
but it had not altered his plans. Lady Smith was making
every preparation to leave on the arrival of the new
governor.
By the last frontier post there was nothing new.
The troops were preparing for the campaign of the Bth
of March.
The following Government notice had been published
by command:—
" Icing William's Town, Feb. 27, 1852.
" Reports have been received from Mr. Cole, Civil
Commissioner of Albert, dated the 17th instant. They
state that the Burgher force under his direction had
swept the whole, of Tyopo's and Madoor's country, the
Indwee river and its kloofs, the neighbourhood of the
Bolota, the whole of the Zuurberg range, and both banks
of the T'Some. Twenty-five Rafts and eleven Hotten-
tots had been slain; among the latter the notorious Dirk
Rabi; and 1,000 bead of cattle, 300 goats, 40 horses,
and I'2 stand of arms had been taken.

" Reports from Lieutenant-Colonel Michel extend up
to the 22d instant. Oa the 20th, notwithstanding the
ircessant rain, his troops were 'vigorously employed in
-devastating the crops in and adjacent to the Wolf's
Den, the property of Sanditli. On the 21st he burned
from 80 to 100 Hottentot huts, and some regularly-
built houses of wattle and daub, in and above the Ama-
tole Basin. He then moved back by the very difficult
ground of the Wolf River to his camp in the valley of
the Lenya, destroying many crops on the march. Col.
Michel reports that • nothing could be more complete
than the destruction of the Hottentot strongholds, or of
the crops in the Den.'
" Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre's reports reach to the 231
instant. Early on the morning of the 21st he moved in
two divisions on the Gulu mountain—the range which
separates the Wolf Valley from the tributaries of the
Gulu River—and completely surprised the enemy, cap-
turing 54 head of cattle on the summit of the heights,
and burning large numbers of huts in the very heart ot
the dense bush. The enemy, Kars and Hottentots,
fled everywhere as the Wore., advanced. Immense quan-
tities of cultivation at the sources of the Upper Keis-
kamma, &c., were destroyed on the 21st and two follow-
ing days. Rockets had been used with great effect,
spreading terror among the enemy.
" From the heights of the Gulu, Colonel Eyre had
observed Colonel Michel operating in the Wolf Talley
below. The co-operation of these two officers, therefore,
has been perfect and most successful.
" Reports to the 22d instant have been received from
Major Kyle, up to which date the quantity of corn de-
stroyed by his column was computed at about 10,000
maids. Ile had met with no opposition.
" Major-General Somerset reports. that he has de-
stroyed the whole of the crops ot the treacherous Soga,
the murderer of the military villagers, and those of
others, in tho valley of the Chumie, as well as very many
on that side of tho Amatola,
" Major General Somerset has moved to the old
Konap Post, prepararory to the grand movement of ex-
pulsion from the Waterkloof to the Kei. The troops
of the second division, having completed their labour of
devastation, are all ordered to head-quarters to re-equip
for the field.

"Mr. Robert Ainslie reports the spirited repulse of
an attack wade by some marauders on his farm, Spring
Grove, on the morning of tho 19th instant. A number of
aheep, and goats were, in the first instance, driven
off; the greater part, however, of the former, and the
whol'o of the later were recaptured, and in the skirmish ,
which took place between the small party of 13 Burghers
and the enemy, 14 of the latter wero slain, and 20
korses and several guns and assegais taken. Mr. Ains-
lie states, that the enemy did nut fight with that spirit
of determination which has been hitherto shown by
them, but seemed more intent on getting off with their
booty.' Very little ammunition was found in the
pouches of the slain."

THE LOSS OF THE BIRKENHEAD.
(From the Portsmouth Tires and Naval Gazette.)
By the arrival of toe survivors of this awful calamity
we are pub in possession of some highly interesting de-
tails not before made public, and sorry we are that in
these gatherings we should have to record so cold-
hearted and ungentlemanly a reminiscence of Commo-
dore Wyvill towards the master of the schooner
Lioness as that given in our " latest particulars"
of the wreck. We were inclined to doubt the
information we received in relation to that transaction,
but the conduct attributed to Commodore Wyvill is
supported by such respectable evidence that we cannot
but believe he has acted in the way imputed to him;
nor is the treatmsat of the merchant Captain of the
Lioness all that may justly be complained of
in Commodore Wyviti's behaviour during the
awe-striking period succeeding; the loss of the
Birkenhead at the Cape. His dispatches to the Admi-
ralty have not been framed with that coolness and re-
gard for rigid aecuracy which such official information
should do in a matter so vital to numerous members of
the community in England. He said in his dispatch to the
home authorities that it did not appear either Mr. Sal-
aloud (the master commanding the Birkenhead) or Mr.
Brodie, the second master, had been on deck from
ten
w o'clock to the time the ship struck. How
information was gleaned we are at a loss to
thiskno' as both the naval and military cffieers of the
watch are
Par, drowned,
and the offi ,ers of the ship who are
saved, comprising,
Mr. 'Renwick ' Richards, master's assistant ;
, engineer; Mr. Archbold, gunner; Mr. Cul-
bane ,assistant surgeon ; Mr. Hire, clerk, and Mr.
Braber, assistant engeeee in the time
Vie ship struck, and hat; ,were all bed at,
not one of theseten o clock and
°mea been so from ,
Wyvill whether either mr.wsere asked by Commodore
on deck from ten o'clock I Theslmond or Mr. Brodie were
helms-
man saved did not go on leadsmen and "fetch till twelve o' l k and
c oc ,
eir.n only speak to what took l
p ace from that time to
two o'clock.
Again Commodore Wyvill said the rocks off Point
Danger extended only l-
a dale more than
mile,
the Birkenhead, when sho struck a and that
, could not h
80 far off the shore as the surviving officers- had have been
sented. Now this looks very mach like • repre-
best testimony he could presume to judgeimpugningthe
very uneourteous doubt of ocular evidence than' and • a
now) betterspared by the was waves. Now which
—ow in contra-
riittinction to the Commodore's hasty opinion we have
ec,nversed with a gentleman who was shown by Captain
Z iamsden, of the Lioness, a chart, of much
a later
date thaw any in the possession of the Admiralty'
whereon the rocks off
Point Danger are seem
u
to extend about a mile and
,a quarter from the
shore, whereas he, Captain Ramsd ene who has
the Cape coast for
24, years
navigated the waters oa
i
and upwards, knows the reef at p
ontDanger extends
fully four miles out! and that the Birkenhead was fully
three miles from the shore when she struck; and in his
opinion the authorised charts issued were useless to
steer by.
Then, as to the compasses of the Birkenhead—we
showed in a recent article (on the 10th ult.) that her com-
passes were entirely untrustworthy, and in support
of this we have now a further corroboratory opinion of
some value. The master of the Lioness when et Cape
Town after the wreck, was told by the commander of the
Propontis iron (screw) mail packet, on the latter's hearing
of the wreck, he was not surprised, immediately assigning
the cause to have been the failure of the compasses, as
Ms own vessel, the
same night on which the Birkenhead
was lost, and about the same time, was in danger, from
the attraction of her compasses from atmospheric in-
fluence, the compasses of the Propontia having on that
night gone entirely round the circle, and kept fluctu-
ating round and round, rendering steering by them
useless !

After this who can wonder at the loss of the Birkem
head ?

We have other information in our possession relative
to the conduct of parties saved, but we will not prejudge
them in the eyes of the world by publishing it now, feel-
ing assured that before sue'n a court-martial as will next
Week assemble to investigate the cause o£ the wreck,
the amplest explanations will be searched out and made
known.

LITREpooL , SATIJILDAY.—ThR screw sfeatn- lhi p
Ureat Britain, Mathews commander, sailed from the
N v York, amidst the
Mr erBeY at 9 10 A. 31. to-dav for ,
cuesrs ot.thousands of person; assembled on the pier-beads
to While's!' her departure. She took out 180 passengers,
and,
hereinro the rate at which she steamed to Holy-
head, no doubt she will make a very fine run out.
Sbe was oft' the Ormshead, distant about 33 miles from the
Hock Lighthouse, in two hours and 50 minutes; and passed
7clolyhead, a distance ot co miles, in 5 hours and 60 minutes, and that, too, with aNA V wind. The Royal Mail steam-
ship Canada, Lang commander, sailed from the Mersey at 430 P. 31. to-day for Halifax and Boston, with the usual
mail?, 50 passengers, and about B,ooor. in gold. The United
States Mail steam-ship_ Atlantic, west
commander, will
ship City of Manchester,
sail from this port for .New York on Wednesday
the mails, &c. The screw steam-
Leitch commander, will also sail on Wednesday neat for
Philadelphia,

THE

POST-OFFICE NOTICE.

Oa and from the Ist May next, printed books, maga-
zines, reviews, and pamphlets (whether British, Colo-
nial, or Foreign), may be transmitted by the post be-
tween the United Kingdom and Heligoland, by packet
viii Hamburgh, at the following reduced rates of
postage, viz.:—

s, d.

For each packet not exceedin,, 1 lb. in weig'zt ... 0 6
Of exceeding I lb. and not exceeding 1 lb. 1 0
17 exceeding llb. and not exceeding 2 lbs. 2 0
If exceeding 2tbs. and not exceeding 3 lbs. 3 0
and so on, increasing one shilling for every additional
pound or fraction of a pound.
Provided, however, that the following conditions be
carefully observed ;-
Ist. Every such packet must be sent without a cover,
or in a cover, open at the ends or sides.
2d. It must contain a single volume only (whether
printed book, magazine, review or pamphlet), the several
sheets, or parts thereof, when there are more than one,
being sewed or bound together.
3,1. It must not exceed two feet in length, breadth,
width, or depth.
4th. It must have no writing or marks upon the cover,
or its contents,
son to whom it may be sent.
except the name and address of the per-
-sth. The postage must be pre-paid in full, by affixing
outside the packet, or its cover, the proper number of
stamps.
If any of the above conditions be violated, the pac-
ket must be charged as a letter, and treated as such in
all respects.
To prevent any obstacles to the regular transmission
of letters, any officer of the Post-office may delay the
transmission of any such packet, for a time not exceeding
twenty-four hours, from the time at which the same would
otherwise have been forwarded by him.
These instructions are not to extend to or interfere
with the transmission of printed votes and proceedings
of Parliament, or of printed papers allowed to pass by
the post, under the newspaper privilege, all of which will
continue subject to the existing regulations.

KING'S COLLEGE, LONDON.
The annual meeting* and distribution of prizes of this
college took place on Friday afternoon, in the large hall
of the institution, in the presence of a very numerous
assemblage.
Earl Howe took the chair, supported by the Earl of
Harrowby, Lord Radstock, Mr. Justice Coleridge, the
Right Hon. W. Gladstone. Sir G. Staunton, Sir W.
Riddell, Sir B. Brodie, the Rev. Dr. Jelf, D.D., principal
of the college, and other gentlemen.
The report of the council, which gave a very favour-
able review of the condition of the college having been
t ead,

The following gentlemen received prizes for profi-
ciency in the various subjects mentioned :
Senior Scholar—Francis Nottidge Macnamara. Second
Year Scholar—Edward Dowsou. Junior Scholars—
Thomas Buzzard, Charles Nottidge Macnamara, Samuel
Dougan Bird.
Divinity—Fourth year, John Kent Spender; third
year, Alfred Payne; second year, William John Palmer;
first year, James Howard Thornton. Warneford Endow-
ment—First prize, Francis Nottidge Macnamara; second
prize, William Edward Masfen. Laathe's Endowment—
Edward Liveing.
Anatomy—John William Palmer. Second year—Ri-
chard Burford Searle, John Withington Roe, Ephraim
Matthews Oridge. First year—John Propert, Henry
Cayley, William Woodward.
Physiology—Maxwell Tylden Masters. Second year
—Geo. Kirkwood Curme, John W. V. Blackburn, John
Craske Webb, Charles Stone. First year—John For-
, tuom Straker, John Lumsdaine Propert, William Wood-
ward, and Vaughan H. A. Hoiberten, equal.
Chemistry—William John Palmer. First year—
Christopher Heath, William Woodward, Henry Cayley.
Practical Chemistry—John Whittaker Halke, Edward
Livoing.
Materia Medics—Edward William Alexander, Max-
well Tylden Masters, Richard Burford Searle, William
Henry Dodge.
Surgery—John Whitaker Hulke, Maurice Davie,
Henry William Dodge, Edmund M. H. Rendle.

Medicine—Mauric"e Davis, Thomas Henry Cheatle,
William Pearl, Edward William Major.
Midwifery—William Edward Masten, Charles Julian
Jackson, Edward Liddon, John Whitaker Hulk.
Botany—Maxwell Tylden Masters, Edward Dawson.
Forensic Medicine—John Whitaker Hulke, Henry
William Lewer.

Comparative An:aomy—Samuel Bowen Partridge.
Medical Clinical (Winter)—Thomas bury Cheatle.
Medical Clinical (Summer)—Francis Nottidge Mac•
namara, Maurice Davie.

Surgical Clinical (Winter)—Maurice Davis, John
Kent Spender, Edward Atkinson.
Surgical Clinical (Summer)—Samuel B. Partridge.
Medical Society's Prize—Alfred Playne.
Associates—Thomas Bridgewater, Thomas Chaytor
Beale, James Balfour Cockburn, George Elen, Alex-
ander M. Edwards, Edward A. H. Head, Thomas F.
Hardwick, Frederick W. Headland, William Hoar,
James Henry Lakin, Edward Liddon, Francis N. Mac-
marara, Henry T. L. Rooke, George R. Skinner, John
Kent Spender, Albert Daniel Smith.

SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENT OF

POSTAL REGULATIONS.

The irregularities and delays in the forwarding of
mails from London aad other places to Manchester
have been the subject of frequent representations
addressed to the Post-office by the Manchester Com-
mercial Association. At a meeting of the directors
of that association held last week, it was resolved to
send a deputation to London to bring these mat-
ters more particularly under the attention of the
Postmaster-General in detail than it was convenient to
do by correspondence. An interview was fixed for
Thursday, and on that day Mr. Malcolm Ross, vice-
president of the Association, Mr. Atherton, Mr. Leo-
pold Reiss, Mr. Leo Schuster, and Mr. W. Gibb,
were introduced to Lord Hard wicke and Colonel
Maberley, and were favoured with en audience which
lasted upwards of an hour. The late arrival of the
day mail in Manchester from London was the first
subject to which attention was called. At present it is
dispatched at 10 &x., arrives in Manchester at 5, and
letters are delivered from 6 to half-past 6 in the evening.
It was suggested that if these bags were dispatched by
the express train now leaving Euston-square at 9.30
AM. they would arrive at 2.40 P. 31 , and be de-
livered by 4 o'clock, which would be an important
saving of two hours to commercial men. The next sub-
ject was with reference to the dispatch of mails from
Manchester and Liverpool to Glasgow. At present let-
ters have to be posted in Manchester by 3.15 P.M.,
and reach Glasgow at 1.30 ax., so that they remain
in the post-office there six hours before delivery.
The deputation urged the necessity of altering
the time for receiving letters to a later hour, so
as to admit of all the business in the day being em-
braced in them, which could be done so as to still lean
time for their early delivery next morning. The third
subject was the detention of foreign letters in South-
ampton,
the letters there being frequently twenty-
four hours before reaching Manchester. The fourth
subject had reference to the inequality of the Brazilian
portages, the nearer ports paying 2s. 9i. while the
further ones are only 13. Fifthly, the deputation urged
the propriety of a mail steam communication between
Hongkong and Shanghai—the present mail-steamers
stopping at Hongkong. The deputation complained,
sixthly, of the unnecessary detention of the Ame-
rican maila for Manchester at Liverpool, these letters
being frequently delayed twenty to twenty-four
hours after the arrival of the American mail-
steamers, although the distance is only thirty
miles to Manchester. The 7th object was to urge the
desirability, where new lines of steamers aro likely to Le
fitted up and competition established, of attempting to
secure more rapid communication and reduction of ex-
penditure. The Earl of Hardwicko listened with much
attention to the subject of the first suggestion, and,
although Colonel Maberly started some objections,
the Noble Lord appeared favourably impressed with the
reasonableness of it, and promised that it abould receive
early attention. As to the mails from Manchester to
Glat,gow, his Lordship also appeared disposed to order
the change. On the third and sixth subjects the Noble
L )rd required further information, and the copy of
a return which the deputation had read. The de-
putation were informed that matters were in progress
for accomplishing the change required in the fourth
proposition, and it was expected the arrangements
would be immediately completed, but, as regarded the
steam communication to Shanghai, no immediate hopes
ceuld he held out. Lord Hardwick° said the seventh
suggestion of the deputation should receive every at-
teution.

SEABORNE MAILS.
Ds' idgnities that the malls are sent Prom the General POSt-oftlee
.7 the nlght—an al by the morning (11spatch.]

When made np is ! Frem what krAiko L when
General Post-once port die- duel
- r.E
London, I patched.
Amodea(hYßrit_ •-- 1 1
America (by t - P,LION May 7 •. .. Liverpool .. May 10
America y.d.P.....) Hi May 4 .. .. Liverpool .• May 12
Africa meat
__lliat.)M May 14 .. .. ,Sonthanipt. May 7
~,,,
ow*n.. ).• 14 14th of the month ;Plymouth May 3
Terg-icui--.. . ... lil 1911 a & 30th of mo.,Dover .. May 18
I
Brazil .. .: l,lll9DthallY_ •• ... ..IDover .. Daily
Buenos Ayres ..
~, ,s_ of the month Sonthampt. May 16
californbotschur4'll .9,0 f the month ;Sonthampt. May 16
Cape of Good Hope ' ..., ria 17th ef month,Sontlsanipt. May 5
Constantinople* .... ; .74... th. of month Plymouth.. May 3
Central America ~ 10;r47,1).27thef mo Dover .. May 10
Channel Wel .. ,„ an,j_th of men. iSonthampt. May 5
Chili •• •"' ' • M 17th VC. &,Senthampt. Tn. Th.Bll
France •• " M 1;117-1,7,17.7--.11.a.,11.-.‘"tme.i;_nth..11Do13°nythamer P!.. 21Twirayeedstily
qranaceobe*,h• • •••• 7. s.,,aes•ci,...a Itn_.f.rno ,Dever .. May 10
tonan,.4
..
..:
.. 3112.1r7ettidia:iLf
zit* jaliz atty. .London .. Tues. Sat.-
.I,Londoa .. 31en.Thar
liondtt. as • •
~ m& N I Twice fail oath..
iiSoonlythhameadp.t..
TMwiayceda42o
Ml2oth of the •
Ireland • •
143finolaic(virraan2tean:au:v1P.a.: m 120th Of the MaloonthnthiliB::tivtrramp.t. MMaayy 1260
dia(viaMarseilles) lii sth& 24th efrcionth,De Pt• May
20
S:tthatrn. 1
Mediteri Jane= (Via 1
ic Btb & 24th of month!Dover
Marseilles) • • • •
~ mld of the month, - • • 'MeV 16
Mexico •• ..
24 9th of the month . a,......amPt• May
Madeira •". .- c 17th,17th,19th,27th —"-/ :lam°' ;May 16
NM:pltlesa44, l'. ....
.. I sth3lostthho2sf thmoonfthmeD_jo:vtlevr:)..t.,'3'lmiraaayy:
691:
h7,4lllsth2sthefmo Dover .. lia•, ;
Papal States* •• •• -! . 2-
m 7th 17.13 Ithof mo Sonthampt. May -
Peninsular.. • • • • Mll7th of the month Sn
Penn --• • „ sth 15th 25 th ofrao Dover .. ;M ay 2
Wes
Tuscany* .. .. • • ,-' 1'
West, Ind:es .. .. 3f 17th of the month Southampt. ]ilay 20

'bover.
•• • • ith 15t• 25th of mo Dover
Napiee g I th 15th 25 th (Imo
Papal States*
7th 17th 37th of mo Sonthamp.t.
34117th of the month ISonthamnt.
Tuscany* N sth 15 th sth ofmoiDover
We /rAllas M 17th of the moath 'Southampt.
Went Indies (except
'ld of t
Uavanna Nassau) MLe month..
• The mails to those c ountrics thec mar'
Fer,nch packet vl Marscilla.

rgoathaaipt.;May 5
cad (*) are co:.-foyed by

THE LEIPSIC Boos FAIR.—The catalogue of the
Faster Book Fair at Leipsic contains 4,527 works as pub..
lished, and 1,163 to be published. This is an increase of
700 volumes compared with the Michaelmas fair, and of 800
more than the last Easter fair. The number of publishers
by whom the works have been biought out iB 903. One
house at Vienna has produced 113, And the Dies3ieure. Brock-
h ans, 95. —LiteraixGazette.

SUN,

LOND

THE MARRIAGES,: BIRTHS, AND DEATHS

IN ENGLAND.

The quarterly return of marriages, births, and deaths
was betted on Saturday. The general results of the
return are satisfactory; the marriae es exceed the average
number, the births are above, the -deaths are below the
average of the kingdom. ,
90,936 persons were married in the last quarter of the
year ending Decembor 31st, 1851. In England the
greatest proportion of marriages is always celebrated in
the months of September, October, November, after
harvest; and the numbers in the last season not only ex-
ceeded the marriages in the previous quarters of 1851,
bat those in the corresponding quarters of previous years.
Allowing for increase of population, the proportion of
marriages was slightly less than in the autumns of 1845
and 1850, bat greater than in any other autumn since
1342. One in 58 of the persons living was married in
1851; or there was one marriage to every 117 persons
living. The marriages increased chiefly in London,
Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwick-
shire, Rutlandshire, Nottinghamshire, Lancashire,
and North Wales. They declined in the southern,
south midland, and eastern counties ; in Wiltshire and
Devonshire, Camberland, Westmorland, and Mon-
mouthshire. The increase was most striking in Rei-
gate, Croydon, Maidstone, East Ashford, Faversham,
Brighton, Falmouth, Taunton, Bristol. Gloucester,
Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Derby, Pre:ton, Hull,
Durham. The rate of marriage was high, but sta-
tionary or slightly declining, in Liverpool, Manchester,
Leeds, end Sheffield.
The births of 161,776 children, born alive, wore re-
gistered in the months of January, February, and
March, 1852. The number greatly exceeds the average
of the season, which is generally the most prolific of the
year. So many births were never registered before in
the same time. London, the West Midland counties,
Yorkshire, and the northern counties exhibit the great-
est excess over their ordinary average.
As the births registered were 161,776, the deaths

106,682 an addition is made to the population in
three months of 55,094 persons. This is the natu-
ral increase. During the same period an army of
57,874 emigrants sailed from the ports of the
United Kingdom at which there are Government
emigration officers; 51,999 of them sailed from three
English ports-8,438 from London, 1,798 from Ply-
mouth, and 41,763, comprising an indefinite number of
the Irish people, from Liverpool. 1,399 emigrants sailed
from Glasgow and Greenock; 4,476 from Irish ports.
The average price of wheat during the three months
was 40s. 10d., or 4s. higher than it was in the last three
months of 1851, when more wheat was sold. The quanti-
ties of wheat and wheat flour entered for home con-
sumption at the chief ports of Great Britain rapidly di-
minished in the three last periods from 91,040 to 47,986
and 27,540 quarters weekly. The price of potatoes at
the waterside market, Southwark, was 70s. a ton, and
ranged from 3s. to 4s. a hundred weight. The average
price of mutton by the carcase ranged from 34d. to 54(1.;
and has scarcely varied for nine months. The price of
the inferior beef rose from 3d. to 31d. The average
price of Consols was 971.
The mortality of England is highest in the winter
quarter. Notwithstanding the peculiarities of the
weather, the mortality in the past winter has been
considerably below the average of tho season.
The annual rate of mortality in the winter
quarter of 1852 was 2.364 per cent., which is less by
0.111 than the mean annual rate of mortality in the
ten previous winters. To every 22 deaths in previous
winters, after allowing for increase of population, there
were 21 deaths in the past winter, during which, as
Mr. Glaisher has shown in his valuable account of the
meteorology, the temperature was 3 deg. above the
average.
The health of the districts comprising chiefly small
towns and country parishes was considerably above the
average standard; the towns exhibited less improvement,
and lost a fourth part more of the population by death
than the country districts.
In London 14,592 deaths were registered in the three
months of January, February, and March; 14,481 in the
thirteen weeks ending March 27. Small-pox, scarlatina,
and hooping-couah prevailed to a considerable extent.
Influenza, bronchitis, and pneumonia were fatal to 40,
1,422, and 908 persons; whereas the deaths in the pre-
vious winter of 1851 from the same diseases were 205,
1,612, and 1,244. Consumption, on the other hand, was
more fatal in the two last than it was in the two previ-
ous winters. Scurvy and purpura were only fatal to
10 persons. 527 persons died in the thirteen weeks of
typhus. 62 women died of metric or puerperal fever, and
62 of other diseases incidental to child-bearing. 120
cases of erysipelas are recorded. Cancer is an example
of great regularity in the mortality some diseases cause;
in the five last winters the deaths from cancer were 222,
231, 213, 236, and 231. Deaths from diseases of the
nervous system remained very uniformly the same.
Diseases of the heart are returned in increasing
numbers; to that cause 425 deaths were referred
in 1848, and 603 in 1852. The increase is probably
due to the advancement and diffusion of medical know-
ledge; for many of these deaths would in former years have
been referred to dropsy. Nephria, or Bright's disease,
has increased from the same mum. One of the most sin-
gular facts in the return is the increase of deaths by car-
buncle; which from an average of about 2 rose to 17 in
the quarter, 19 deaths were directly ascribed to intem-
perance, 29 to delirium tremens, 12 to privation, 64 to
the want of breast milk, 4 to cold, 23 to poison, 88 to
burns and scalds, 76 to hanging and suffocation, 72 to
drowning, 161 to fractures and contusions, 35 to wounds,
and 11 to other violence.