The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-09 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

The official report says :—Change of temperature has
produced a great, increase in the mortality. The present
return shows that the deaths in London, which scarcely
exceeded 1,000 in any of the four weeks of January, rose
in the week that ended sth February to 1,220. The
mean weekly temperature in December of last year was
about 48 deg., in the two following weeks of January it
was 45 deg., it then fell to 41.9 deg., and in the last two
weeks it declined to 37'7 deg. and 36.5 deg. On Tues-
day last week the mean temperature was only 31.6 deg.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1843-52
the average number of deaths was 1,058, which, if raised
in proportion to increase of population, would give a
mortality of 1,164 for last week. Hence it appears that
the mortality, which for many weeks has been below the
estimated amount, now exceeds it.

The increase arises chiefly from diseases of the respira-
tory organs (principally bronchitis and pneumonia),
which having been fatal in the two preceding weeks in
171 and 199 cases, have now risen to 250. Phthisis in
the same period carried off 134, 138, and 151 persons ;
and 49, 40, and 64 children died of hooping-cough.
The following cases were registered in the week :—At
47, Church-street, Bethnal-green, a woman, aged 68
years, died on Ist February, of "summer. cholera and
chronic diarrhoea (18 weeks) ; disease of intestinal canal,
atrophy, and exhaustion (10 weeks)." And at 1, Sum-
finer-street, reckham,.on...tstAqiii.paq, the son of an
omnibus driver, aged 3 years, died of cholera, AiarAcea
(30 hours).
In the church sub-district of Bethnal-green, at 15,
Wolverly-street, the son of a weaver, aged one year,
died on 28th January of " variola (12 days), unvacci-
nated." Mr. Briggs states that the father and another
child are very ill with the disease, and neither of them
has been vaccinated. At 1, Regent-street, Mile-end
Old Town Lower, the son of a fishmonger, aged 15
weeks, died on 31st January of " variola (10 days), not
vaccinated." Mr. Castleden mentions that four other
children in this family have been severely attacked with
small-pox after vaccination, but that they were all re-
covering. Of 11 persons who died of this disease three
were adults, and one was a woman who had been
vaccinated.

At 9, Henry-street, Hampstead-road, on the 2d and
4th February, the daughter of a carter, aged 6 years,
and his son, aged 10 years, died of " scarlatina maligna,
with putrid sore throat." Mr. Day, the medical at-
tendant on these cases, makes the following report :---
"At the rear of the premises, 9, Henry-street, stand
some cottages in one of which the two deaths occurred.
The room is a small one, and, I believe was occupied by
five individuals ; all its inmates have been more or less
affected with sore throat produced by effluvia emanating
from the dying and dead, for no perfect ventilation could
be obtained, owing to the back room being occupied by
other persons. I have suffered from sore throat myself,
and also a young man who visited there. I should have
made a more accurate survey of the dwelling, but was
deterred by a ferocious dog kept by the occupier of the
adjoining apartment to the terror and annoyance of the
neighbours."

In the sub-district of Waterloo (2d part), Lambeth, at
13, Cheltenham-place, on 2d February, the wife of a
tailor, aged 20 years, died of •` typhus" (about 14 days).
The informant of this death was requested by the medi-
cal attendant to state that it is to be attributed to the
unwholesome smells that pervade the house. Whence
these arise is at present unknown. The deceased had
twice suffered previously from the same disease.
In Dover-road, Charlton, the son of a labourer aged
one and a half years, died on 30th January, of " malig-
nant scarlatina" (5 days). The medical attendant re-
marks :—" The house in which this child died is wholly
unfit for human habitation. About a year and a half
ago three children died from malignant disease of the
throat in a cottage adjoining." Mr. Clark, the deputy
registrar of Peckham, states that scarlatina is very
severe at present in the neighbourhood of Rye-lane,
where also a fatal case occurred on 30th January.
In St. Giles, Cripplegate, at 7, Garter-court, a
brewer's workman, aged 39 years, died of " bronchitis,
pneumonia." (Post mort.) The deputy registrar observes
that " this is the fourth death that has occurred in the
same family since March, 1852 ; the only sleeping apart-
ment is a small room, damp, and without chimney or
other means of ventilation."

The following deaths occurred in the London Fever
Hospital in the week :—On 31st January, a woman,
aged 64 years, from Half-moon-court, Holborn, "typhus.
In hospital 3 days." On 3d February, a female-servant,
aged 17 years, from Lumley-court, St. Martin's, " bron-
chitis. In hospital 9 days." On 3d February, a female,
about 30 years, from the Holborn Workhouse, "typhus.
In hospital one day." On sth February, a nurse, aged
44 years, from Sydney-grove, City-road, "typhus. In
hospital 18 days."
Mr. Joseph, registrarof tke rectory sub-district, Mary-
lebone, raakes the following observations : "The
return for the past week will probably show a large in-
crease in the number of deaths ; at all events there has
been an increase so far as my district is concerned. The
deaths in Marylebone workhouse, during the winter,
have averaged from 7 to 10 weekly, a low rate in com-
parison of the deaths of former years. This week, how-
ever, has produced 24, and the majority of these were
from diseases of the respiratory organs, clearly showing
that the recent sudden and severe alterations of tempe-
rature have proved especially disastrous to persons suf-
fering from such diseases. These deaths have been at
all ages, from the infant of 7 days to the old man of 90.
In the wards where these cases have been treated,
warmth as well as ventilation have been especially cared
for." In the sub-district 40 deaths were registered in
the week.

Mr. Rixon, the Registrar of the sub-district of Wool-
wich Arsenal, says :—" Between the 19th and 24th of ,
January inclusive, 6 deaths occurred in the Royal
Ordnance Hospital. I do not remember that so great a
mortality ever occurred before in a single week amongst
the military since the commencement of the registra-
tion. Three or 4 deaths have taken place in a week, but
the number seldom exceeds 4 or 5 in a month."

Last, week the births of 827 boys and 732 girls, in all
1,559 children were registered in London. In the eight
corresponding weeks of the years 1845-52 the average
number was 1,507.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.782 in. ; the
mean daily reading on Monday and Tuesday was above
30 in. The mean temperatnre of the week was 36.5 deg.
which is 1.3 deg. below the average of the same week in
38 years. The mean daily temperature fell from 39.1
deg. on Sunday to 31.6 deg. on Tuesday, or 6.1 deg.
below the average of the same day ; and it continued,
though not to the same extent, below the average during
the rest of the week. The wind blew from the north-
east at the end of the week, but the air was for the most
part calm. The mean dew point temperature was 31-5
deg.

THE FATAL UPSETTING OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND
LIFE-BOAT.—The inquiry which has been going on for
several days before Mr. Peirce, the coroner, and jury,
respecting the fate of the six unhappy fellows who pe-
rished by the capsizing of the Rhyl life-boat, was brought
to a close at a late hour on Monday. One of the ques-
tions involved in the inquiry was the security of the
the celebrated Northumberland prize life-boat. The craft
was placed on the station at the instance of the Shipwrecked
Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society, and
this being the third instance where they have upset, the
other two being at Lytham, near Liverpool, and Carnar-
von, naturally led to much apprehension amongst the
many life-boat crews. As is known, the boat is the build
of Messrs. Beeching & Sons, of Great Yarmouth, and was
selected out of 280 models for the 1001. prize so bensvo-
lently offered by the Duke of Northumberland. It is
26 feet long, and 6 feet 6 inches broad, and is sister boat
to the one tested at Woolwich Dockyard, a short time
since, in the presence of Rear-Admiral Hope, Lord H.
Cholmondeley, M.P., Capts. Barlow, Miller, Lean,
Washington, Ward, &c. Her righting powers were
proved by upsetting her under a crane, and her stability
by placing eleven men standing on her gunwale, which
only brought it alip. After a great deal of evidence was
received, detailing the unhappy particulars, which we
have already fully reported, and likewise showing that a
different construction of life-boat is necessary for different
stations, the jury returned the following special verdict :
—" That the deceased men were accidentally drowned
by the upsetting of the Rhyl life-boat ;at the same time
they (the jury) are of opinion that this boat is not suit-
able for this station ; and with respect to the life-belts,
they consider that they were wholly inefficient for the
intended purpose." The protracted proceedings then
terminated.
GOLD IN DEVON.—'The Albatross, 100 tons, cutter,
is to proceed from this port to Barnstaple, with the first
portion of the machinery connected with the Poltimore
Gold Mine, near North Melton, which is being
manu-
factured at the the foundry of Messrs. Mare and Co.,
•
olsf
Plymouth. After landing the machinery, the vessel
to convey 100 tons of auriferous gossan from the Polti-
more mine to Liverpool, where it is to be reduced in
bulk, at the works of Messrs. Rawlinson and Watson,
who have already tried a small sample, in which the
eefloeraer
determining
mexisentednesire existence of go olty
perfectlydrwaasquantityb
clear, and
ermi ning these gentle-
men
thet le-
average yield. The question of " Gold in England ~
consequently now assumes a
very
inter-
esting position, and the Poltimore importantcempa and
ny aetwieelyin bringing the point to an irnae, aesesregardan. osur talentedprofitablc
yield of the precious metal
townsman, Mr. Oxland, chemist andg metallurgist, is en-
gaged to test the gossan, and, in addition, to examine
the slag which is found near the Poltimore mine in some
abundance, and so determine, if practicable, whether the
ancients smelted these for copper or for gold, of which
works there is not the slightest tradition, although the
fact of reduction establishments having existed cannot
for a moment be doubted, from the slag which is met
with in three or four places in the neighbourhood of
North Molten, on the property of Lord Poltimore.—
Devonport Independent.