The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-02 00:00:00

HEALTH OF THE METROPOLIS

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly R6turn.)
There were 1,442 deaths in London in the week that ended
last Saturday, a number which is not very different from
those of the two previous weeks. The deaths of young
persons was less numerous last week, but tliose of the ola
show an increase, which, however, is not considerable.
Fifty-four persons died at the age of 80 years and upwards,
of whom 11 were nonogenarians. The mean temperature
of the air, which had fallen to 41.6 deg. in the second week
of November, rose to 48• deg. in that which followed, and
last week it was 47.9 deg. The air was humid as well as
warm.

The deaths were nearly a hundred less than the corrected
average.

The births were more numerous than the deaths by 496.
Bronchitis was returned in 155 cases, pneumonia in 92.
The former disease has varied little in the last three weeks;
the latter declined last week. The mortality of both
complaints is below the average. Phthisis was fatal in
157 cases.

There were 19 deaths from smallpox, 25 from measles, 112
from scarlatina, 70 from typhus. There appears to be an
outbreak of measles in Islington, where there were seven
deaths from it. The following sub-districts returned each
four deaths from scarlatina :—All Souls, Marylebone,
Kentish-town,lslington East,Haggerstone West, and Pop-
lar. Five castle of scarlatina were recorded iu Hackney-road
sub-district, and five in Limehouse.

Last week the births of 1,011 boys and 927 girls—in all
1,938 children—were registered in London. In the ten cor-
responding weeks of the years 1853-62 the average number
(corrected) was 1,901.
METROPOLITAN WATERS IN NOVEMBER, 1863.
The waters used in London during November, according
to the analyses of Dr. Robert Dundee Thomson, F.R.S., are
much more impure than in the preceding month. The
purest of the Thames waters is that of the Grand Junction,
both in respect to total and organic matter. The New River
is more pure than usual. The Kent water is not solely from
the chalk, but contains surface impurities. It is much to be
regretted that this water is not kept uncontaminated. The
water of a well at Dulwich is quite unit for domestic use,
as it contains much sewage,

Total impurity Organicim.
per gallon. purity.
Well at gre. or deg. grs. or deg.
KatatHrinalet wziaootern,p-inaenywe,suropupil..y
3.33
Distilled Water o'o 01)
to Glasgow 2'35 '605
Southwark.
Manchester water su pl
West Middlesei
wick .
.. .. .. ........
............. .
THAMES COMPANIES.
Grand JunetiOn ...
Chelsea ..
22.40
isrLeaniwbeßiOtvilern;
...
......
...............
2221817.
88:606 2•56
2.40
248
2.80
1 • 1132
gallonotTwhh
ie tableoh2:36o 5
51 sddre
degrees
rde e
ee Ts uoosrr g
East London.
Kent
solution,n in2i
the
2•80
thus
--,:;eign:;mteartteeornitnal
on.
..re of vegetable or animal
At the Royal Observato-
of the barometer in tb" ~.y, Greenwich, the mean height
reading was abov ~, week was 29.943 in. The mean daily
was 29.52 in
,d 30111 on the last three days. The reading
e
on Thur. 41 the morning of Sunday, and it rose to 30•23 in
was • Aday. The mean temperature of the air in the week
47.9 deg, which is 6•7 deg above the average of the same
week in 43 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher). The
mean daily temperature was above the average till Saturday,
and on Tuesday and Wednesday the excess was lldeg and
12deg. The highest day temperature was 57deg on Wed-
nesday, and the lowest night temperature was 35.7 deg on
Saturday. The range of temperature in the week was there-
fore 21.3 deg. The mean daily range was B.Bdeg. The dif-
ference between the mean dew-point temperature and air
temperature was 3deg. The mean degree of humidity of
the air was 89, complete saturation being represented by
100, which point was almost reached on two days. The wind
was in the south-west in the first half of the week, and in
Ithe south-east in the latter half. A quarter of an inch of
rain fell on Tuesday,which was the whole quantity measured.
TThhaemmoesawna.os 47 '`3deg, the highest temperatures of the water of the
that of the lowest was 451 deg.
4,
aeg,

No HOME complete without a WILCOX AND GIBBS'
SEWING-MACHINE. Simple, compact, efficient, durable, and
noiseless. Warranted to fulfil all the requirements of a
perfect family machine. Prospectus fro, on appliication at
No, 135, Regent-street, W;—[Apyr.]

BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.—The editor's new story
of the fortunes of John Law, the bubble financier
of the last century, proceeds rapidly. The prologue
is terminated in this number, and well it may be,
Sr the catastrophe which concludes it is of a wholesale
nature. Beau 'Wilson, driven to frenzy by the taunts of the
idlers at the coffeehouse, poisons his wife and attempts to
kill Law in a duel. In this effort he fails, and is mortally
wounded---living just long enough to be convinced of his
wife's innocence. The usual article on French Almanacks
for 1864 is given, and an old acquaintance, Dudley Costello,
proceeds with his story of " Mr. Grimshaw's Little Love
Affair." " Two Upsets in Wales" is the title of an amusing
sketch,showing how all is well that ends well ; and the fifth
part of " Six Weeks at Hunsdon Manor" will delight the
lovers of the startling and terrible. Monkshood contributes
a disquisition on the Oliver of "As You Like It," and the
extraordinary vicissitudes of the life of Madame de Bran-
denbourg form the subject of an interesting sketch.
COLBURN'S NEW MONTHLY.—A new story is
begun in this part, and the first instalment is of
considerable length. We doubt, however, whether
it will replace Mrs. Wood's interesting though melancholy
tale. Sir Nathaniel discourses on the character of the Em-
peror Julian, surnamed the Apostate, from his attempt to
resuscitate the old forms of pagan worship. Die principal
characteristics of this writer's essays is the variety of quo-
tations and references which he contrives to collect from
authors, ancient and modern, English and foreign. Cyrus
Redding gives us some reflections on the strife between
Poland and Russia. The story of " Strathmore" is con-
tinued in the author's alcustomed style, which is too high-
flown and highly-colotred to suit most English tastes.
There are several other papers, among them an amusing
sketch of " A Boarding-school down South."

COLBURN'S UNITED SERVICE.--There is a memoir
of General Wolfe in this periodical which eminently
deserves attention, and will be sure to repay perusal.
He is described as a " brave soldier, who had the
peculiar good fortune to die on the field of battle
in the moment of victory, with the universal love of
all who knew him." There is a carious incident mentioned
in this memoir that is sad to reflect upon. " Lieutenant
Macculloch, the officer according to whose suggestion he
first conceived the idea of turning the French flank by seal-
ing the heights of Abraham, died a pauper in Marylebone
Workhouse in 1793. Credat Judceus." "Gambia Colony"
and the " Civil War" is concluded. •' Curiosities of Naval
Literature" contain many subjects sf interest. "Memoirs
of Admiral Washington" does full justice to his zeal and
abilities. "The Recollections of Campaigning in Spaint"
No, 2, are as interesting as their predecessor. We have
another instalment of " Greenwich Characters," the Pro-
posed Congress, and the Political Crisis in Europe. A
paper on the French Ironclads, in the Editor's Portfolio,
shows that our neighbours' ships have not been more suc-
cessful in a gale than our own. The General Naval and
Military Register and Obituary, with the Stations of the
British Army, and General Naval and Military Intelli-
gence, complete this number.

THE VICTORIA.—The most interesting feature in
the Victoria Magazine is the continuation of Mr.
Adolphus Troilope's story of " Lindisfarn Chase."
The heroine, Kate Lindisfarn, is placed in a most
awkward and painful position, ewing to the promise
of secrecy which she has given to her newly-disco •
vered cousin. She remembers that the fact of his exist-
ence renders her no longer one of the heiresses of Lindis-
fern, and that, consequently, she appears to Captain Elling-
ham under false pretences. She therefore feels bound to
reject the proposal which, she feels sure, awaits her, and
she is left sitting on theLindisfarn stone in a very unenviable
state of mind. Her sister, less honest and straightforward,
is tempted by no such scruples, but is evidently anxious to
get her love affair satisfactorily settled before the fact of this
unwelcome cousin's existence becomes generally known.
The characters of the two sisters are skilfully drawn, and
well contrasted with each other, and the different results of
a highly-finished Parisian education, and a simple country
training, are displayed to full effect. " Shall we Conquer
China," is a question propounded and answered by Mr.
Meredith Townsend. He considers that, with our work in
India so incomplete, and with the Chinese quite able to
take care of themselves after their own fashion, we should
do wrongly as well as rashly.in spending our energies in
China. "Every pound of force expended in China is half
a pound subtracted from India; every merchant who pre-
fers the broader field, takes a source of wealth from the nar-
rower one ; the able man who goes to rule liwang-tung,
might have made Chittagong a garden; the very judges
who would make Shanghai secure for commercial men, are
sighed for with bitter longing in Benares and Nagpore.
The Government of India needs more railways, more roads,
many canals, buildings without end, officers without num-
ber." He asks whether we, who are responsible for the
destinies of India, should give all these things to China,
while leaving our own subjects in want, " A Journal kept
in Egypt," by Nassau Senior, is pleasantly continued ; and
a more adventurous writer penetrates into the recesses of
the Waldensian Valley, and records a visit to La Grande
Chartreuse.

TEMPLE BAR.—" John Marchmont's Legacy" is,
of course, the chief feature of this serial. The story
has nothing exciting in this instalment, but, on the
contrary, the record of the present stands still,
while the narrative picks up the dropped links which
bind it to the shadowy memories of the past. Mary's
story is a touching picture of miser Y—not loud, but deep.
It brings before us one of those histories of the crimes of
the strong and the sufferings of the weak that more than
anything else awakens the pity and arouses the indignation
of man, Nothing can console one after dwelling on this sad
topic more than to behold the retribution that overtakes
Paul Marchmont. That fearful man spent a solitary day
at the deserted farmhouse, that day that was to be the
crown of his triumph, as diverting Edward from his search
for his wife, beheld him dreary, desolate, and well-nigh dis-
tracted. It must take many a, triumph in the struggles of
sin, many an excited moment of success, to make up for one
hundreth part of the tortures undergone by the wily de •
ceivers when they are caught at last in their own snare. Self
is the last company the guilty. can desire, and there is no
greater punishment for a man like Paul Marchmont than to
leave him to his own reflections. like'
Trials of the Tred-
golds" is continued at somo leng.th, and becomes more
momentous in its incidents. It is a lugubrious tale, and
nothing enlivens it. young Gifford's marriage only gives
rise to fearful scenes, and his father threatens to give him
up to the laws ho has outraged. Noel is taken to the
lunatic asylum to see his mother, but death has provided
for her a rest that the sleep in such abodes can never
know. In the next portion of this tale there will
very likely be some stirring scenes, as William Moyle is
doing his best to arouse the youth's indignation against the
destroyer of his mother. This is a very eventful tale, and
the several exciting scenes are drawn with great force,
while the characters are powerfully described in their seve-
ral styles of villany and treachery. " The Streets of the
World" is the commencement of a series of papers by George
Augustus Sala, which have been entrusted to the care of
Edmund Yates, who has succeeded his friend in the editor-
ship of this periodical. The
.papers present us with the
same life-like touches and brilliant sketches which have
before this made the writings of Mr. Sala so remarkable.
The place here under notice is Marseilles. " Renan's Vie
de Jesus" is a summary of that work. It may be observed
that it is not considered in these pages with quite sufficient
decision. It is incumbent upon those who put forward such
statements as those of M. Renan, to accompany
them with
some expression of dissent. It is said that " criticism is not
our fask,,, but every publication that takes note of a work
hag El right to pronounce judgment upon its merits, and