The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-29 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

( From the Registrar-General's Repo,.t. )

In the week that ended on Saturday, 1,399 deaths
were registered in the metropolitan districts. The in-
crease arises from two causes • the rate of mortality has
been raised by the coldness of the weather ; and more
than a due proportion of inquests are included in the re-
turn, such cases having accumulated during the quarter
without the coroner's signature, which is necessary to
complete the registration.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1843- -52,
the average number of deaths was 1,124, which if raised
in proportion to increase of population, becomes 1,236.
The return of last week, therefore, exhibits an excess on
the estimated amount.

In the table of fatal causes, the deaths are spread over
the various diseases in proportions not varying much
from those of the preceding week, in which 1,358 deaths
were registered. Last week 316 were produced by
of the respiratory organs ; 158 were from bron-
chitis, 110 from pneumonia. In the zymotic class,
hooping-cough, which continues rather fatal, number 63
cases. Small-pox has so far disappeared from London,
that no deaths from it were registered last week. Cho-
lera was fatal in cases, of which the following are the
particulars :
WEST DlSTRlCTS,—Population, 376,427. Deaths
from cholera none

NORTH DlSTRlCTS.—Population, 490,396, Deaths
from cholera none.

CENTRAL DlSTRlCTS.—Population, 393,256. Deaths
from cholera none.

EAST DISTRICTS. - Population, 485,622. Deaths
from cholera, 7.

Eethnal Green • Hackney-road.—At 16, Sweet-apple-
square, on 26th November, the wife of a shoemaker,
aged 23 years, "sudden death from cholera." (Inquest.)
Whitechapel ; Spitalfields.—At 2, Goodwin's-build-
ings, on 18th December, the wife of a labourer, aged 30
years, "malignant cholera (15 hours)." The medical
attendant remarks that " in a very small room 7 persons
sleep every night."
In the same sub-district, at 2, Goodwin's-buildings,
on 20th December, a labourer, aged 50 years, " malig-
nant cholera (12 hours)." No premonitory symptoms.
Mr. Deboos, the registrar says :—" This is the second
death from cholera within 3 days in the same house,
which is overcrowded and far from cleanly."
Whitechapel ; Mile End New Town.—At 2, Chick-
sand-street, on 19th December, the daughter of a brass
finisher, aged 3 months, " cholera (15 hours)."

St. George-in-the• East ; St. Paul.— At 13, Hunger-
ford•street, on 19th December, the daughter of a cigar-
maker, aged 1 year, " English cholera (one week)."
Stepney ; Shadwell.—At 9, Sealing-street, Shadwell,
on 17th December, the daughter of a coal-whipper, aged
1 year and 3 months, " diarrhcea (2 days), cholera and
consecutive fever (9 days)."
Stepney; Mile-end, Old Town, Lower.—At Mile-end
Workhouse, from Harris's-court, Itatcliff, on 17th De-
cember, a coal labourer, aged 22 years, " choleraic
disease."

SOUTH DlSTRlCTS.—Population 616,635. Deaths
from cholera, 3.

Newington ; Trinity. —At 1, Cole-street North,
the son of a tailor, aged 2 years and 11 months, " na-
tural Asiatic cholera maligna." Post mort. Inquest.
In same sub-district, at the county gaol, on Bth No-
vember, a single woman, aged about 30 years, " natural
malignant cholera." Inquest.
Greenwich ; Greenwich West.—At the Dreadnought
Hospital ship, on 17th December, a ship-boy, aged 12
years, " cholera, 2 days."

At 2, Cottage•place, South Lambeth, on 19th Decem-
ber, the daughter of a schoolmaster, aged 3 years, died
of " pertussiss (9 days), pneumouia, both lungs (2 days).'
The medical attendant describes the house drainage as
bad.

In the sub-district of Charing-cross, a boy, aged 5
months, died on the 17th December, of "atro-
phy from birth, convulsions." Mr. Leonard says—
" This is one of a large class of cases, a chance child,
detrived of its natural nourishment soon after birth,
that its mother may go to work, and gives it to a nurse,
who kills it with improper food.
In the sub-district of Clapham, at 11, Northumber-
land-place, Syham-road, on 20th December, aged 55,
died of " typhus produced by malaria, arising from the
neglected state of the road there, which is in Lambeth
parish." Inquest. Mr. Frost, the Registrar, says—
" I send herewith a copy of the evidence of the medical
officer, given on oath before the jury. I may also state
that several representations as to the bad state of this
road have been lately made to the Lambeth authorities
through me, as Inspector of Nuisances, but nothing
has been done. Mr. M'Donogh, surgeon, deposed :
I attended Matthew Judd, aged 13 years (son of the
deceased John Judd, about 7 weeks ago ' • he had typhus
fever ; I never experienced a worse case of typhus fever ;
it was most severe ;it was like an attack of plague. He
is recovering. Another boy was also attacked. The
deceased John Judd, the father, was also taken ill of
the same disease. I attended him ; he went on in the
usual way, until about six days ago, when lie became
worse. Last Sunday he lost a great deal of blood by
vomiting, which reduced his powers of life to the lowest
ebb. He died on the 20th instant, exhausted from
putrid typhus fever. It is my opinion that he has been
positively poisoned by the state of the neighbourhood,
the same being injurious to the health of the inhabitants,
The bad state of the road cannot be paralleled on this side
of London. The house in which the deceased died re-
quires lime-washing to make it fit for human habitation.
I have long made it known to the parochial authorities
of Lambeth and Clapham that I fuily expected these
results. The road there is in Lambeth parish ; the
footpath is in Clapham. The Clapham side has been
attended to ; the Lambeth portion of the road has been
.Sleeted, and has been in its present state for twenty
years to my knowledge. The road. is now in such a
neglected state as to have produced the death of John
Judd. There is a great accumulation of filth, animal
and vegetable, in the road, so as to endanger the lives
of the inhabitants. Disease is generated, which may
eventually extend to other neighbourhoods!'
Last week the births of 800 boys and 745 girls, in all
1,545 children, were registered in London. In the
eight corresponding weeks of the years 1845.52, the
average number was 1,267.

At-the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.748 in. The
mean temperature of the week was 33.1 deg., which is
5.6 deg. below the average of the same week in 38 years.
The mean daily temperature was below the average on
every day of the week, and on Sunday and Monday the
decrease was 9 deg. The highest temperature was 41
deg., on Friday ; the lowest was 27 deg., on Monday.
The highest and lowest on Saturday were 36 deg. 3
min. and 27 deg. 7 min. The mean dew-point tempera-
ture was 30 deg. 6 min. The wind blew generally from
the north-east.