The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-30 00:00:00

HEALTH OF THE METROPOLIS.

(Front the liegtstrars-cteneras a yreeNcy item, r•.)
The total number of deaths in London in the week that
ended on Saturday was 1,312. It differed little from tha
of the previous week ; but the deaths at 60 years of age
and upwards rose from 244 to 285. The average number
of deaths for the 52d week, derived fi om the returns of
that week, in ten years, 1853-62, is, with a correction for
increase of population, 1,558. The actual number is less
by 246 than that obtained by calculation.
There were 14 deaths from smallpox and 44 from measles
Six of those caused by the latter disease were returned in
Somers-town, and five in the sub-district, Lambeth
Church, second part. Scarlatina was fatal in 78 cases, six
of which were in Kentish-town, eight in Islington.
Bronchitis was the most fatal in the week of all the dis-
eases on the list; it was recorded in 154 cases, while the
corrected average in ten corresponding weeks is 185. The
deaths from bronchitis rose, as compared with the numbers
of two previous weeks—but those from pneumonia, which
were 81, showed a decrease. Whooping-cough increased
decidedly; it was fatal to 49 children. There were 138
deaths from phthisis.
Three cases of murder or manslaughter, 2 of which were
deaths of infants, were recorded in the week.
Only 2 nonagenarians died ; they were widows, aged 92
and 95 years.
Last week the births of 805 boys and 727 girls, in all
1,532 children, were registered in London. In the ten cor-
responding weeks of the years 1853-62 the average number
(corrected) was 1,828.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height
of the barometer in the week was 29.970 in. The mean
daily reading was above 30in. on three days of the week.
The reading was 30.30 in. on the morning of Sunday—
and fell to 29.70 in. on Tuesday. The mean temperaturo
of the air in the week was 42.5 deg., which is 5 deg.,
above the average of the same week in 43 years (s
determined by Mr. Glaisher). The mean temperature was
above the average on every day, except Tuesdayj
and on the last three days the excess was from 8 deg. W
11
deg. The thermometer fell below the freezing point_ffere:
on two nights ; the lowest reading was 26.5 deg. W
°ll
a Satur-
day ; the highest day temperature was 51.9
day. The range of temperature in the weekdTsve
range on
25.4. The mean daily range was 12.2 deg.
e between the
three days was only 7 and 8 deg. The differ°
leLure was 4•6
mean dew point, temperature and ejr
tetlarnaP air 84,
gies°therefore
Coosplete
deg. The mean degree cf humidity
saturation being represented by
the northwest, and
100.0 f The wind blew trom
a westerly point—on Tuesday froin
highest temperature of the
measured. The mean a the that of the lowest was
afterwards from south-west and west. There was no rain
water of the Thames was 44.2 deg.;
42 deg.

....--- „
MINCE-PIES AND THEIR ORIGIN IN NvnAm .r
haovf have been moltreilifeoer-tpuinea, tea,uldplessed as they are
Carol i Br,
and e
HUNT CALLED " MINCEFIETY !" .._ n. - -"EIGH
Christmas Nane:
Mumming and Wessel are no more, having fallen victims
Year's
o th o scythe
G ift
with a healthy constitution, and having led a less riotous
life in their younger days.
survive all his children, and to flourish
as himself is destined to
beard long after the last
Bmistletoe
ourish with his snowy
grave of the last mincepie. is planted above the
pro-
bably about the eldest
in wishing Mince-pieut all true patriots will join
a ehlong and merry term. lie is pro-
spices indeed presented
selves. Nor has
Virulent theological child of Christmas. They Sabaan
lehon, aro said in hi 1)37 the Kings of the East, at Beth-
h.sra to remain and to perpetuate them-
He has seen 1 life been always peaceable and placid.
rough times, and had his portion of abuse.
gjeal contests have been fought over his
reverend persevil report on. lie has gone through good report and
) and known what it id to sutler the tortures of
religious
be reproach. His future days are pr
to trait
destined
a nquil, and when he passes away, he will pass away
in
green old age, when the chequered history of his ear-
lier career is either unremembered or unknown.
EXTRAORDINARY VOYAGE OF A SAILOR'S CHEST.
—A sailor's chest was recently
far lost
rom ißts in amswnery Boy,ea
and has actually been cast up
not fo'
Y runvid. ilai
in Whitehaven. It seems that a sailor, named Thomas
into
toeue rubs cly, iol
na
3:isinn,st.
whenthe Sshiseterwsalsa
O'Neil, of Whitehaven, sailed in the schooner Sisters,
Fitlaemetsweyoond.ay,Ornsltehoef
large Glasgow schooner, hound to Liverpool,
and imniedi-
ately afterwards sank. The crew got on boa d r the Glasgow
on-
vessel, saving their lives, but not hin
veyed to Liverpool. O'Nail gelse
and were
afterwardscon-
made way home to
Whitehaven, where he arrived on the 11th inst., and,
strange to say, his chest, which
Sisters, arrived the day after.had gone down with the
North Wall at the time, It is said he was on the
head. It was picked up and saw it floating past the p
ier-
taken to the Custom house,
by a man at Redness Point, and
and
subsequently restored to
its owner. -