The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-02 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

(From the Registrar-General's TVeekly Return.)

The deaths in London, which had fallen to 1,271
in the third week of March, rose to 1,360 in the
fourth week (that ended last Saturday). But the
mortality is not high relatively to the average mor-
tality for the end of March in 10 previous years,
which when corrected for increase of population is
1,560.

The deaths from typhus, which had been 123 and
108 in the first and second weeks of the month, and
had declined to 63. in the third, rose again to 89
last week ; 11 of this number occurred in the Lon-
don Fever Hospital. Out of 25 deaths from measles
4 were returned in the west sub-district of Mile-end
Old Town; out of 43 from scarlatina there were 4
in the west sub-district of Islington, 4 in Peckham.
Diphtheria was fatal in 21 cases.
In a family living at '249, Tottenham-court-road,
the father died of phthisis, two children of whoop-
ing-cough, all of whom, with a third child, have
died within a week, and the registrar states that the
four bodies will be buried together.
On the 27th March, at 18, Edgware-road, the
son of a jeweller, aged 5 years, died of diphtheria,
after six days' illness. Mr. Ancell, the medical atten-
dant, writes in reference to this case as follows :

"This is the second case of death from diphtheria
occurring in its most malignant and intractable
form at 18, Edgware-road, Marylebone, within 15
days. The drains belonging to this house were dis-
turbed by the authority of the vestry of Maryle-
bone on the 26th of November last, and kept open
until the 7th of December. The drain, which is
stated to have been a perfectly efficient one, and
passed from the back of this and the adjoining
houses to the sewer, was reversed and carried
through the basement to another sewer. This was
done, not on account of any effluvium or defect of
drainage in this house, but ostensibly on account of
the drains being out of order at 33, Upper Seymour-
street, the next street, running at a right angle.
The portion of the old drain belonging to this house
was bricked up, and accordingly the two sections
of the old drain about this house as cul de sacs, the
alteration having been carried out in this house
only. Since this disturbance of the drain and
alteration of its course it is stated that the water-
closets, &c., of the house have never been as freo
from effluvium as heretofore, and it Is impossible to
disassociate the occurrence of this malignant disease
in this particular house and family from the cir-
cumstances herein stated relating to the drainage."
Last week the births of 1,041 boys and 1,083
girls, in all 2,124 children, were registered in Lon-
don. In the 10 corresponding weeks of the years
1852-61 the average number (corrected) was 2,091.

METROPOLITAN WATERS IN MARCH, 1862.

The total impurity in the London waters, accord-
ing to the analyses of Dr. Robert Dundas Thomson,
F,R,S., is somewhat less in each sample than in the
preceding month, while the organic matter in cer-
tain cases is greater. Those containing the maxi-
mum quantities of organic impurity are the East
London, Kent, West Middlesex, and Lambeth.
Some of the specimens, as that of Chelsea, were
clear, while others, as that of Southwark, were
somewhat turbid. For the sake of comparison the
composition of a surface well is given ; it yielded
decided evidence of the presence of oxidized sewage,
Total impurity Organic im-
per gallon. purity.
gra. or deg. grs. or deg.
O'n 0.0

Distilled Water
Loch Katrine water, new supply
to Glasgow (March) 2 35 •605
Manchester Water Supply (March) 3'33 •680
Pump, Star-lane, Fulham 98'96 9'52

THAMES COMPANIES. - - -
Chelsea
Southwark
West Middlesex 20.68 2.16
Grand Junction 21'13 1•70
Lambeth
OTIIER COMPANIES.

Kent
East London

25'00 2.10
23'72 2,11-
_

New River

17'92

The table is read thus—Loch Katrine water contains in the
gallan 2111 degrees or grains of foreign matter in solution, of
which •605 degrees, or grains are of vegetable or animal
origin.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.284 in.
The reading of this instrument was 29.90 in. on
Sunday, and it fell to 29.05 in. on Friday. The
mean temperature of the air in the week was 47.9
deg, which is 5.5 deg above the average of the same
week in 43 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher).
The mean daily temperature was below the
average on Sunday; it was more than 11 deg
above the average on Monday and Tuesday, and
continued above it the rest of the week. The
highest day temperature was 63.0 deg on Monday.
The lowest night temperature was 34.9 deg, and it
occurred on the Sunday preceding. The range of
temperature in the week was therefore 28.7 deg.
The mean daily range was 12-7. The range on
Friday was only 5.2 deg. The difference between
the mean new -point temperature and air tempera-
ture was 2'2 deg. The mean degree of humidity of
the air was 93, complete saturation being repre.
scnted by 100, which point was reached on Sunday,
and nearly reached on three other days. The wind
was very variable; it was alternately south-cast and
south-west till Friday afternoon, when it turned to
north-cast. The rain measured 0 84in, more than
half an inch living fallen on Sunday. The mean
of the highest temperatures of the water of the