The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-11 00:00:00

HEALTH OP THE METROPOLIS.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Return.)
The deaths in London increase as the colder season draws
on, but hitherto the rate of increase has been slight. They
were 1,270 in the week that ended on Saturday, The aye-
rap number of deaths in ten corresponding weeks (viz., the
4bth in each of the years 1853-62) is, with a correction for
increase of population, 1,270. Hence it appears the actual
mortality in the week was exactly the same as the result
which is obtained by calculation.
There were 23 deaths from smallpox, Four of these oc-
curred in the sub •district of 'Whitecross-street, while there
were only 2 in the whole of that region of the metropolis
which lies on the south side of the Thames.
Scarlatina was recorded in 125 cases ; 17 of these occurred
in Marylebone, 11 in Pancras, 5 in Limehouse, 6 in Bow.
Four children of a house painter died at 26, Bolsover-street,
11.1arylebone, on the 4th, sth, and 7th inst. of scarlatina.
Four deaths from the same disease occurred at 13, North-
ampton-row, Clerkenwell, within nine days.
Typhus exhibits an increased mortality. In the last three
weeks the deaths from it on an average were (31 ; in the pre-
vious weeks they were 52.

Last week the births of 1,011 boys and 952 girls, in all
1,963 children, were registered in London. In the 10 cor-
responding weeks of the years 1853.62 the average number
(corrected) was 1,879.
METROPOLITAN WATERS IN OCTOBER, IS'3.
These waters, according to the analysis of Dr. Robert
Dundas Thomson, F.R.S., contain generally more im-
purity than in the preceding month. The mean total im-
purity of the Thamas waters was 16.77 degrees or grains
in S .ptenTher, and their organic impurity was 1.51 degrees
or grains, while in October the corresponding numbers were
17.10 and 2-27. The greater purity of the West Middlesex
water cannot fail to be noticed. This company has adopted
the recommendation in these reports, to provide greater
storage space. The Kent water contained no unoxidised
organic matter, and appeared to be water from the chalk
uncontaminated by river water. The well water at Dulwich
is from the same well analysed in June. It is understood
to have been examined, and found communicating with a
sewer; but it is still copiously mixed with sewage products.
Total impurity Organichn-
per gallon. purity.
gre. or deg,. grs. or deg.
Distilled Water
Loch Katrine water, new supply
to Glasgow
Manchester water supply
Well at Wellington-place, Dul-
wich
COMPANIES.
Chelsea
Southwark
'West ➢liddlesex 1421 I'6B
Lambeth
Grand Junction — 17 48 2'24
OTHER COMPANIES.
Kent
New River
East London

The table is read thus—Loch Katrine water contains in the
gallon 215 degrees or grains of foreign matter in solution,
of which •605 degrees or grains are of vegetable or animal

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height
of the barometer in the week was 29.731 in. On Monday
the mean was below 29m. ; on the last three days it was
above 30in. The reading fell to 28.74 in. on Monday morn-
ing, and it rose to 30.36 in. on Friday. Tho mean tempera-
ture of the air in the week was 47.3 deg., which is 1.5
deg; above the average of the same week in 43 years
(as determined by Mr. Glaisher). The fluctuations in the
temperature were great. Oa the first three days the mean
was below the average; on the next two, 9 deg. and 10
deg. above it, and on Friday again fell 5 deg. below it.
The highest day temperature was 60.8 deg on Wednesday.
The lowest night temperature was 34'3 deg. on Friday.
The range in the week was therefore 26.5 deg. The
mean daily range was 10.9 deg. On Thursday the range
was 4 6 deg. The difference between the mean dew-
point temperature and air temperature was 3.9 deg.
The mean degree of humidity of the air was 87, complete
saturation being represented by 100, which point was
actually attained on Saturday. The wind blew from the
south-west. On Friday it was in the north-east. There
was rain on every day ; but 0.59 in. out of a total fall of
0 86in. in the week was measured on Monday. T e mean
of the highest temperatures of the water of the Thames was
52'7 deg. ; that of the lowest was 50.5 deg.

CAPTAIN SPEKE,—On Friday the inhabitants of
Taunton welcomed Captain Speke on his return
to Somersetshire. On his arrival at the station he was
heartily cheered by thousands of persons who had assembled.
A procession was formed, composed of the inhabitants of
the town and neighbourhood, and rifle corps, which pro-
ceeded to the Somersetshire Hall, where an address was
presented by the civic authorities on behalf of the inhabi-
tants. The address referred to the importance of the
traveller's discovery, and expressed a hope that it might
please the Queen to confer on him some signal mark of her
approbation, and that Parliament might recognise his ser-
vices by a suitable acknowledgment. In reply, Captain
Speke said he had had the gratification of discovering
the source of the Nile. He christened the lake he dis-
covered the Victoria Nyanza, after her Majesty, because
ho considered that his first duty. He next christened a
mountain Somerset, after his native county; and a river
Jordan, after his own family. He christened an archipe-
lago Bangal, because he was a Bengal officer ; and the falls
at the source of the Nile Ripon, in honour of the nobleman
who presided over the Royal Geographical Society when ho
set out upon his expedition. He had:discovered, what was
of more importance than the source of the Nile, the fertile
zone of Africa—vast regions full of water, and in conse-
quence very fertile. Ha intended to return to Africa, and
if he did he would use his best exertions to stop the slave
trade.

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In all the varieties of fevers and inflammations, which now
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when desolation threatened,