The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-31 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON.

The returns issued by the Registrar-General ex-
hibit a further decrease on the high mortality of
November. In the week that ended on Saturday
the number of deaths was 1,292. The average num-
ber for corresponding weeks in the ten years 1852-
61, with a correction for increase of population, is
1,560. The deaths last week were fewer by 268
than they would have been if the average rate of
mortality had ruled. The births in the week ex-
ceeded the deatbs in the same period by 318.
Twenty-eight cases were recorded in which small-
pox was fatal. Eleven of these occurred in the
Smallpox Hospital. Measles was fatal in 61 cases,
24 of which were in the districts on the south side
of the river. There were 4 in the Belgrave sub-
district, and 9 in Islington. There were 77
deaths from scarlatina, 4 of which were in the
snb-district of St. Mary, Paddington, 8 in Isling-
ton, 6in Hackney, and 4in Peckham. Diphtheria
was returned in 18 cases. Both phthisis and bron-
chitis show a decrease on the results of previous
weeks. Six persons aged ninety years and up-
wards died in the week. A widow died at the age
of 98 years ; and another is stated to have arrived
at the age of 100 years, and to have been born a
fortnight before George IV. A woman died of
abscess in the hand caused by the scratch of a cat.
A man of erysipelas from punctured wound of the
thumb. A woman was suffocated by swallowing a
false tooth and metallic plate, which lodged in her
windpipe. Last week the births of 829 boys and
781 girls, in all 1,610 children, were registered in
London. In the ten corresponding weeks of the
years 1852 .61 the average number (corrected) was
1,861.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 30.094 in.
The mean daily reading was above 30 in. on the last
four days. The barometrical reading was 29.53 in.
on Sunday ; it rose to 30.33 in. on Christmas-day.
The mean temperature of the air in the week was
42.2 deg., which is 5 deg. above the average of the
same week in 43 years (as determined by Mr.
Glaisher). The mean daily temperature was above
the average on every day except Monday; and on
the last three days this excess was as much as from
8 degs. to nearly 11 degs. The lowest night tem-
perature was 33.4 deg. on Monday. The highest
day temperature was 50 deg. on Thursday and
Friday. The range of the temperature in the week
was therefore 16.6 deg. The mean daily range was
8.2 deg. The range on Sunday and Friday was only
5 deg. The difference between the mean dew-point
temperature and air temperature was 3.6 deg. The
mean degree of humidity of the air was 88, com-
plete saturation being represented by 100, which
point was attained on Tuesday, and nearly reached
on Wednesday and Saturday. The wind blew from
the north on the first two days; afterwards from
the south-west and west. On Sunday the maxi-
mum pressure of the wind was 151bs. to the square
foot. The gale lulled at four o'clock on the morn-
ing of Monday. The whole amount of rain did
not exceed 0.08 in. The mean of the highest tem-
peratures of the water of the Thames was 42.2
deg. ; that of the lowest was 39.4 deg.
Kensington : St. Paul's, Hammersmith—At 8,
Lilly-terrace, on the 19th December, the wife of a
chemist, aged 51 years, " from absorption of puru-
lent virus into the system, producing general blood
poison in consequence of an abscess in the hand
occasioned by a scratch from a cat." Not certified.

St. George, Hasover-square : Belgrave—At 47,
Dorset-mews, on 22d December, a coachman (do-
mestic servant), aged 60 years, "erysipelas and
blood poison from a punctured wound of the thumb
with an awl."

Mile-end Old Town : Eastern—At 3, Caroline-
place, on 16th December, a female domestic servant,
aged 56 years, " violent death, swallowed a false
tooth and metallic plate, which lodging in the upper
part of the windpipe caused suffocation." (Inquest.)
St. Saviour : St. Saviour—At 17, Little Guild-
ford-street, on 19th December, the widow of a hair-
dresser, aged 100 years, " natural decay." This
woman was born a fortnight before King George
the Fourth.