The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-18 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

(Prom the Registrar-General's Report.)

The mortality of London has exhibited little variation
during the last four weeks. In the week that ended on
Saturday the number of deaths registered was 984. In
comparing the results of the last two weeks as regarded
fatal diseases, it will be seen that while tubercular
diseases and diseases of the heart continue of the same
amount, and diseases of the nervous system have de-
clined from 119 to 89, those of the respiratory organs
from 97 to 77, the epidemic class has risen from 279 to
320.

Typhus, which rose in the two weeks from 42 to 60,
has partly contributed to the increase of the last-men-
tioned class ; but the principal cause is diarrhoea, which
continues to grow in activity. This complaint which
numbered in four previous weeks 54, 73, 81, 110 cases,
rose last week to 139 ; and cholera, reg,istered under
various designations, "English," " infantile," and in one
instance " Asiatic," exhibits a still more rapid augmen-
tation ; for in the preceding week the number was only
four, last week it was 19. Two or three of these 19
cases appear to have been of violent character and short
duration ; 16 occurred to children, nearly all very young,
and 3to persons of advanced years. The following are
the particulars :
At 15, Canton-terrace, Hoxton Old Town, on 7th
August, the daughter of a carpenter, aged 3 months,
" cholera."
At 2, Hartwell-street, West Hackney, on 9th August,
the son of a labourer, aged 11 mouths, " cholera infan-
turn (2 days)."
At 10/, Carey-street, Saint Clement Danes, on Bth
August, the son of a barrister's clerk, aged 14 months,
"cholera infantum (3 days)."
In Church sub-district of Bethnal-green, at 19, King-
street, on 6th August, a weaver, aged 74 years, "Eng-
lish cholera (3 days)."
At 15, Tindall's-buildings, Gray's-inn-lane, the son of
a labourer, aged 18 days, " cholera (6 days)."
At Elysium-cottages, Fulham, on 7th August, the
daughter of an omnibus driver, aged 3 months "cholera
infantum (2 days)."
In the sub-district of South Chelsea, at 13, Evans's-
buildings, on 12th August, the daughter of a labourer,
aged 5 months "cholera iufantum (3 days)." Dr.
Brown, the medical attendant of this case, adds on his
certificate :—" The room in which this child was lying
was so insufferable, from the crowding into its small
space of so many human beings, that the only matter
of astonishment is that human life could be sustained in
it at all."
At 13, *Upper Bryanstone-street, on sth August, the
daughter of a farrier, aged 3 months, "cholera infantum
(2 days)."
In Spitalfields, at 4, Wood-yard, on 6th August, the
son of a labourer, aged 6 months, " infantile cholera
(13 days)."
In Spitalfields, at 3, Wood-yard, on 9th August, the
daughter of a carpenter, aged 2 months, " infantile
cholera (5 days)."
In sub-district of Saint Paul's, Deptford, in King-
street, New Town, on 10th August, a labourer, aged 69
years, " English cholera."
In same sub-district, at 50, Giffin-street, on 12th
August, a dust collector, aged 56 years, " Asiatic cholera

(54 hours)."
In Rotherhithe, at 3, Neptune-court, on 7th August,
the daughter of a blacksmith, aged 12 years, " cholera
(43 hours)." Mr. Pitt, the registrar, says :—" The
house is dark and badly ventilated ; a drain running
under the two lower rooms, about a foot below the level
of the street. The sister of deceased just recovered from
severe typhoid fever."
In St. John, sub-district of Westminster, at 9, New
Rochester-row, on 11th August, the daughter of a musi-
cian, aged 6 years, " cholera (7 hours)." The medical
attendant says :—" This was a very violent case." Ac-
cording to informant, there was no premonitory symp-
toms.

In St. John, sub-district of Marylebone, at 34, Orem-
street, on 6th August, the daughter of a mason, aged 6
months, "cholera infantum (one week)."
At 20, Wilton-terrace, Islington, on 7th August, the
daughter of a commercial traveller, aged 4 months,
"cholera, vomiting and purging (2 days)."
At 7, Queen's-road, Holloway, on Bth August, the
daughter of a bricklayer, aged 18 weeks, " cholera in-
fantum (84 hours)."
At ], Trinity-street, Islington, on 7th August, the son
of a tailor, aged 5 months, " infantile cholera (1 day.)"
At 49, River-street, Maiden-lane, Islington, the son
of a carpenter, aged 7 months, " cholera Anglica (5
days)."
In South St. Giles-in-the-Fields, at 34, Parker-street,
on 7th August, the son of a bricklayer, aged 15 months,
" diarrhoea (2 weeks)." Mr. Faulkner, the registrar,
remarks :—" This is the second death from the same
cause in this house within the last two months. The
informants in both cases complained most bitterly of the
horrible smells arising from the sausage manufactory
next door, where all sorts of domestic animals are kept.
As this is the third complaint I have received respecting
this pace, I visited it yesterday, but did not perceive
any very remarkably bad smell, although there certainly
was a something not very fragrant in the atmosphere.
The informant says that the very bad smells are not con-
stant, but occur principally in the morning, when the
various processes are in activity. I have a little patient
in the same house suffering from a low fever." Another
child, aged 6 months, died at 41, Parker-street, on 9th
August, of " diarrhoea (nine days)," and another on 4th
August, of the same complaint, at 24, Great Wild-street,
in the same sub-district.

In Holton New Town, at St. Luke's Workhouse, on
7th August, the wife of a lapidary, aged 36 years, died
of typhus. Mr. Ansell, the registrar, says--" lam in-
formed by the medical officer that a great many cases of
typhus are being brought in; seven cases have just been
admitted out of one house, No. 28, Playhouse-yard.
This house is represented as in a most filthy state, and
the neighbourhood altogether is a sink of filth."
Two sons of a baker, aged 3 and 5 years, died on 9th
and 10th August respectively, at 205, Blackfriars-road,
of " fever."

At 20, Silver-street, Golden-square, on 9th August, a
girl, aged one year, died of "typhus (2 weeks), cerebral
congestion and convulsions (9 days)." Dr. Parkes ob-
serves, that " the patient, when first visited, was found
at the top of a house tenanted by a greengrocer, the
smell of decaying vegetables pervading the whole house,
and rendering it unfit for the residence of human beings.
The next house is a butcher's ; the cellars and yard are
used for slaughtering."

At 12, Lairender-i:oad, Battersea, two daughters of a
carpenter, aged 5 and 10 years, died on sth and 10th
August of scarlatina ; and at 11, Pulteney-terrace,
Islington, two daughters of a painter, aged 4 and 3 years,
died on 9th and 10th August of the same disease.
In the sub-district of Hoxton Old Town, at 23, Aske-
street, on 4th August, a dressmaker, aged 28 years, died
of phthisis. Mr. Pearce, the registrar, adds—" In this
house I am informed that, till within the last three or
four weeks, the private drain has been so defective that
the inmates were fearful of the disease making its appear.
ance. Within this dwelling live 12 or 13 children of
different families, and in some of the rooms where the
body now lies live and sleep a female and her child.
The effects produced by the warm weather rendered it
necessary to have the coffin screwed down."
The following additional cases are selected from the
returns :—A boy, aged 16 days, "a deep nievus on the
back." A boy, aged 11 years, " worms occasionally
seen for seven years, tape worm (8 months since), bron-
chitis (4 months)." At 15, Wilmot-street, Bloomsbury,
on the 9th August, a livery stable-keeper, aged 62 years,
died of " chronic equinia apostematosa (8 months) from
diseased horse ; abscesses in the legs ; conjunctivitis (3
or 4 days)." At 110, Pennington-street, in St. George's-
in-the-East) on 10th August, a corn-porter, aged 62
years, died from " fever and great prostration, conse-
quent on drinking a large draft of impure water (5 days)."
At 1, East-lane, Bermondsey, on 9th August, a carver
and gilder, aged 47 years, " anthrax (10 days)." At 4,
Circus row, Greenwich, on 7th 'August, a spinster, aged
56 years, " malignant carbuncles (2 months), secondary
abscesses (one month)." A girl, aged 8 weeks, maras-
mus, after operation for hare-lip.
Last week the births of 709 boys and 752 girls, in all
1,461 children, were registered in London. The average
number in eight corresponding weeks of the years
1845--52 was 1,351.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 30.072 in. The
reading of the barom3ter decreased from 30.06 in. at the
beginning of the week to 30.03 in. by 10h. a.m. on the
7th • increased to 30.18 in. by 9h. a.m. on the 10th ;
anedecreased to 29.97 in. by the end of the week. The
variations of reading during the week have been un-
usually small. The mean temperature of the week was
61.2 deg., which is slightly below the average of the
same week in thirty-eight years. The mean difference
between dew-point temperature and air temperature was
8.6 deg. The wind blew for the most part from the
north-east.

MORTALITY iN THE METROPOLIS.
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED
IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, AUGUST 13.
Zymotic Diseases
Diseases of Uncertain Seat
Tubercular Diseases
Diseases of the Brain. Nerves, and Senses B9
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 29
Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of
Respiration 7
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digestion
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus &c.
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
Malformations
Premature Birth and Debility
Atrophy

320
38
196

44
...... 22

Old Age
Sudden
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance .. 39
Causes not specified

DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES
Population Deaths in corre-

984
Deaths

Enumerated. oponding week in the
iB5l. of 1852. we( k.
West Districts
North Districts ...... 490,396
Central Districts..... 333,256
East Districts
........ 485,522
South Districts .... 616,635

Totals .......
Males ........ 2,362,236
...............
Females ..........

1,091 984
534
450

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.
Males ....................................... 709
Females....
752
T0ta1.................................... 1,461