The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-24 00:00:00

UST.

S9c7.7:TY.

At the last Ordinary Meeting of the Statistical Society
held at the rooms of the society, in St. James's Square,
the Right Hon. 'Holt Mackenzie in the chair, a paper
was read " On the Old and New Bills of Mortality,
Deaths and Fatal Diseases in London in the last four-
teen years." By John Angus, Esq. The author gave
a sketch of the origin and progress of the old bills
of mortality. They were commenced in 1592, and
had answered the purpose for which they had been
originally established, moreover, they had contri-
buted to English history much valuable and inte-
resting information ; but, in two centuries and a
half, these bills had become somewhat antiquated.
By their aid John Graunt, in 1662, had estimated the
population of London at 384,000. The new system of
registration for England and Wales commenced in 1837,
and the new machinery had obtained returns, which, by
their fulness and accuracy, had superseded the old. The
modern bills showed the births and deaths registered in,
the week up to Saturday night. The author described
the population and area comprised in the new bills, and
the process by which the returns were ob ained. The
area embraced an extent of 122 square miles, on which
surface was planted, in 1851, 305,933 inhabited houses,
and contained in that year a population of 2,362,236 inha-
citants, increased in 1853 to 2,468,362. This population
lived in a density varying from two persons to an acre at
Lewisham, to 284 in St. Botoiph and Cripplegate and to
an elevation varying from 2 feet below high-water mark
at Newington, to 250 feet above it at Hampstead. The
births registered in the 14 years 1840-53 were 972,508,
and the deaths 746,660 ' • the former being in excess of
the latter by 225,848. The rate of mortality during
that period had been about 2.5 per cent., showing that
London, throwing all its heterogeneous elements en
mane, contrasted favourably with some of the large
towns in England : nevertheless it still presented a wide
field for the sanitary reformer. The destruction
of infant life was excessive, but less so than in
Liverpool and Manchester. In West moreland, the deaths
under one year were 120 in 1,000, in London 200,
in Liverpool 280, and in Manchester 290. Typhus had
increased in the last fourteen years at a rate far exceeding
the increase of population. Those diseases had increased
which were chiefly generated and propagated by dirt,
overcrowding, and other circumstances of bad sanitary
condition. The class of zymotic diseases had destroyed, in
the 14 years, 24 out of 100 persons who had died from all
causes; tubercular diseases 18; diseases of the lungs and
other organs of respiration 15; diseases of the brain 12.
The author showed the proportions in which the various
classes of disease had increased. Small-pox had decreased
in 1853. An interesting feature in the returns for the
next serieg of years would be the effect on this disease—.
the scourge of London in past times—which recent legis-
lation may be expected to produce. In the 14 years
this foul disease hid destroyed 12,093 lives in London
alone, being on an average 864 in the year, but in 1853
only 217 had died of it. Typhus had increased 75 per
cent. in the last seven years, as compared with the pre-
vious seven years. Intemperance had increased in greater
ratio than the population. The paper was illustrated by a
series of valuable and interesting tables, in one of which
was shown the periods in which the people enjoyed the
greatest health, and those in which fatal diseases were
most rife. In December, January, February, and March
the deaths ranged from 4,500 to 5,000 a month ; in June
they fell to 3,800. June, July, and October were more
healthy than August and September. The earliest and
latest periods of the year were the most fatal.
The Chairman announced that the President (Earl
Fitzwilliam) had nominated the following members of
council Vice-Presidents for the year ensuing ; Sir John
Peter Boileau, Bart., F. B.S. ; the Right Hon. Holt
Mackenzie ; Thomas Tooke, Esq., F.R.S. ; the Rev.
E. Wyatt Edgell.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

CUSTOM-HOUSE, APRIL 22.

ENTERED INWARDS.--The Rena, from Emden ; Anna
Margaretha, Jarman ' • Pet, Sines ; Alert, Caen ; John
Miller, New York ; La Reine des Pots, Bordeaux ; Vigi-
lante,Caen ; Aetive, do. ; Christine, Harlingen ; Louisi-
ana, Baltimore ; Thyra, Dantzic ; Albancen, Uddewalla ;
Gitana, St. Cruz and Porto Naos; TauntonPacket, San-
tander; Kinderdyk, Rotterdam ; Eliza, Gothenburgh ;
Susanna, Christiania.

ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADING.—The Geelong, for
Melbourne and Madras ; Johanna Caroline, Stettin ;
Durveland, Portland Bay ; Echo, Cherbourg ; Storm King,
Quebec ; Fowler, Bahia; Prince of Wales, Hudson's B y;
Prince Arthur, do. ; Princess Royal, Vancouver's Island ;
Rhondda, Melbourne ; Robert Passenger, Port Philip. ,
CLEARED OUTWARDS WITH CARGO.—The Superb, for
Gothenburg ; Bacchante, Teneriffe, &c. ' • Rose, River
Gambia ; Marianne, Elsinore and Memel ; Elizabeth and
Mary, Brussels; William, Leer • John, Prince Edward's
Island ; Admiral Zoutman, Sydney, N.S.W. ; Chieftain,
Calcutta; Patriot, Alicante; Antoinette, Rostock; Co-
pernicus, Port Philip ; Clara Ann, Calcutta ; Parrock
Hall, St. Kitt's ; Geelong,, Melbourne and Madras.

DEAL, April 23.—The brig Anemone, of Sunderland,
from Shields for Philadelphia, struck upon the Goodwin
Sands early this morning, blowing a heavy gale of wind
from the N.E., and after remaining there about one hour
came off again. The captain and eigut of the crew had
previously left the- vessel in the long-boat, one of the crew
remaining on board, who conducted her through the Gull
Stream, when a Ramsgate lugger observing a signal of dis-
tress wont to her assistance, and put some of the crew on
board, but in consequence of the vessel being full of water
they were obliged to run her on shore on the main, when
they were with much difficulty saved, owing to the heavy
surf upon the beach. It is expected that part of the cargo,
railway iron, and vessel's stores will be saved.
_ _

MEtiEld, April 18.—The John Cathairna Charlotta, both
bound to Riga, and the Carl Magnus, bound to Pernau,
which sailed hence 16th April, have been detained by her
Majesty's steamer, Conflict, and /sent back to this port.
The Conflict is at anchor in the Roadstead.
TRAVEMUNDE, April 18.—To-d ay, a securely-corked
bottle was picked up on the strand, containing a slip of
paper with the following, in pencil, written on it : I,
Jeromias Lindquistorio, mait of the 5-masted schooner
Heckla, of Marstall, write this in the hour of our death.
The ship will sink in a quarter of an hour, and the boat is
lost. Whoever finds this will please publish the report.
April 5, 1854." N.B. The Heckla, Rasmussen, from Stra-
vanger, passed Elsinore April 4.
When the Argo (s), on her present passage to Australia,
arrived at the Cape de Verds intelligence was received of the
wreck of the Record of Sunderland, having on board
Portugese emigrants, upon the coast of the Island of San
Antao, the passengers had been landed at an almost unin-
habited- spot, and being in great destitution, the crew and
passengers of the Argo subscribed Wt. 16s. towards their
relief. - The Governor-General of the islands being about
to cross to the place where the unfortunate emigrants
were, took charge of the amount.