The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-23 00:00:00

HEALTH OP LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

The effect of increased coldness of the weather is
visible in an increased mortality amongst old and young.
The mean temperature of the air in the second week of
January was 45 deg., and the deaths of London were
1,001 ; in the week that ended last Saturday the mean
temperature was only 29.8 deg. and the deaths regis-
tered rose to 1,328. Since the former week the weekly
temperature has declined according to the following
series :-41.9 deg., 37.7 deg., 36.5 deg., 34.8 deg., and
29.8 deg., and the mortality has concurrently risen
according to the following numbers :-994, 1,011, 1,220,
1,235, and 1,328.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1843-52
the average number of deaths was 1,098, which, with a
correction for increase 'of population, becomes 1,208.
The deaths of last week, therefore, exceed the estimated
amount by 120.
The following table exhibits the mortality at three
periods of life during the last four weeks ending—

Ages. Jan. 29. Feb. b. Feb. 12. Feb. 19.
From birth to 15 years 451 ... 550 ... 479 ... 534
From 15 years to 60 324 ... 391 ... 452 ... 424
At 60 and upwards 235 ... 278 ... 293 ... 370
Hence it appears that while persons of all ages have
suffered, the severity of the weather has been most fatal
to persons in advanced life. Well-heated apartments,
warm clothing, and comfortable lodging at night, at all
times necessary in this climate, are indispensable at. this
season to the aged, who find it difficult to support life
when the temperature has fallen below a certain point.
The deaths from bronchitis in the last five weeks have
been 83, 91, 110, 168, 184 ; those from hooping-cough
rose last week to 66; those from consumption to 167.
Taking the last six weeks, and comparing the facts of
the former half of this period with those of the latter
half, it is observed that the mortality in the West Dis-
tricts has increased 36 per cent. ; in the North 31 per
cent. ; in the Central 17 per cent. • in the East 30 per
cent. ; and in the districts south of the Thames 19 per
cent.

Mr. Clark, deputy-registrar of Peckham, says :
" From the want of proper drainage, the bad state of
cesspools, &c., fever is never absent from Hill-street and
the surrounding neighbourhood."
In the Green sub-district of Bethnal-green, at 2,
Paradise-place, the daughter and son of a labourer,
aged respectively, 6 months and 2 years, died on 15th
February of " rubeola, pneumonia, convulsions, the
former after 8 days', the latter after 21 days' illness.
Four deaths have occurred in , the same house in the
short space of 11 days." The bad sanitary condition of
this place has been already described.
Last week was - fatal to two centenarians :—On the
15th February, at the workhouse, Chelsea, an army
pensioner died of" natural decay" at the age (as stated)
of 102 years. Mr. Lamer, registrar, mentions that
" this was a man of colour, who had been for many
years cymbal player in.one of the regimental bands ; he
was admitted into the workhouse from Mermaid-yard
about three months before his death ; it is ,stated that
he wad 'married only six years ago." At 24, Duke-
street, Aldgate, on 19th February, the widow of a
fruiterer died from " decay of nature" at the great age
of 104 years. Mr. Spencer says :—" She came from
Mentz in Germany to England in the year 1770, at
the age of 21 years. She retained her faculties till
the last, and never had medical advice previous to her
last illness." At the Royal Hospital, Greenwich, six
pensioners died, three on the 12th instant, two on the
14th, and one on the 16th, whose ages averaged 78 years.
The oldest was a man of 93 years, who, according to Mr.
Waller, the registrar, " was formerly a messenger in
the cashier's office at the hospital, a situation which he
held for many years ; of late he was in the habit of walk-
ing straight up the Holiday-hill to the Observatory daily,
and continued this practice till a very short time before
his death."

As may be supposed from the generally advanced age
of the persons who inhabit them, the mortality in work-
houses has been great ; the number of deaths amongst
their inmates rose last week to 164, though it has
been frequently not more than half of that amount. In
military and naval asylum the deaths were 9, in general
hospital 51, in hospitals for special diseases 3, in lunatic
asylums 12, in military and naval hospitals 3.
Last week the births of 850 boys and 731 girls, in all
1,581 children, were registered in London. The aver-
age number in eight corresponding weeks of 1845-52
was 1,464. •

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was only 29.585 in.
The mean temperature of the week was only 29.8 deg.,
which is 9.1 deg. below the average of the same week in
38 years. The- mean daily temperature was lowest on
Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, when it was about
281 deg., or about 10 deg. below the average. On all
other days it was 7 deg. and 8 deg. below the average.
On Saturday the highest temperature was 36.2 deg.,
and the lowest only 20.5 deg. The mean dew point
temperature was 22.9 deg. The wind blew from the
north or north-east throughout the week.