The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-28 00:00:00

N,

LONDON,

1,000 in the two groups of districts; it was a little
below the average iu the country, and considerably
below the average in the towns. The vtinual rate of
mortality per cent. in all England was, on the average
of 10 summers, 2,099 ; in the summer quarter of 1851
it was 2.020.
London has enjoyed a degree of health above the
average in the last summer quarter; 13;064 deaths
were registered, which is a less number than was
registered in the summer quarters of 1847 and 1848,
and half the number (27,172) registered in the sum-
mer quarter of 1849, when cholera was epidemic.
During the three months of July, August, and Sep-
tember, more people have passed through or resided
temporarily in London, with its 2,361,640 inhabitants,
than ever passed through any city before in the same
time. The past experience of large armies, or of the
pilgrimages of the East and of the middle ages, might
hare justified the sinister forebodings which some en-
tertained; but the railways and the improvement in
sanitary arrangements have now rendered it possible
to move masses of men about in thousands and mil-
lions without danger to the public health, as the event
has here proved. The deaths by violence, though
less than i❑ previous summers, were 363; 10 by
poison, 35 by burns aid scalds, 43 by hanging or
suffocation, 89 by drowning, 156 by fractures and
contusions, 21 by wounds, and 9 by other violence.
The number of suicides and murders registered in
London was less in 1851 than in the summer quar-
ters of 1847, 1848, and 1850.

The deaths by poison in the
.summerquartera

1848.50, were 15, 20, 2G; and, instead of increasing,
they were only 10 in the summer of 1851. This de-
crease is highly gratifying, as it follows so immedi-
ately the recent legislation on the subject. Fractures
and contusions were more fatal than in 1849.50, but
not more fatal than in 1848. That other form of poi-

soning, intemperance, in the use of alcholic drinks,
seems also to be declining ; 16 deaths were ascribed to
intemperance, 55 to delirium tremens, in the summer
quarter of 1850; while 13 and 35 were eferred to the
same causes in thc summer quarter of 1851. No person
has died of hydrophobia in any summer quarter
since 1843. The deaths from that cause in the

G years 1846-51 were 3; in the 6 years 1840-5 they
amounted to 15 ; in the year 1839 to 4 ; in 1838
to 12. The decrease of this dreadful form of
disease may be fairly ascribed to improved police re-
gulations. 34 women died of metria ;55 of the other
incidents of childbirth. 1,683 persons died of con-
sumption ; next to this disease in fatality, and far
above all other diseases, was diarrheas, which destroyed
1,456 lives in three months. Summer cholera was
more fatal than it was in the summer quarters of
1847-8, and more than twice as fatal as it was in the
summer of 1850. There has been a progressive in-
crease of diarrheas since the summer of 1841, whkm
only 228 persons died of the disease ; 627 deaths
were referred to typhus, 3S to remittent fever. Ty-
phus was increasing at the close of the quarter.
The South-Eastern Division has been less healthy

than it was last year. The mortality was above the
average in the Medway district (including Rochester),-
the Isle of Thanet (including Margate, Ramsgate,
and Broadstairs), Dover, Brighton, Worthiog, New-
port in the Isle of Wight, Hungerford, and Abing-
don. Diarrhoea was prevalent, as well as typhus and
scarlatina, in several of the districts. Three cases of
cholera were fatal at Newport, in the Isle of SVight.
The South Midland Division was generally healthy.
The mortality was much below the average in the
counties of Hertford, Northampton, Huntingdon,
Bedford, Buckingham, and Cambridge. In Oxford-
shire the mortality was above the average in the dis-
tricts of Theme, Headington, and Oxford. In Oxford
19 persons died of scarlatina, 16 of diarrhoea, and 3
of typhus. The health of Cambridge has, on the
contrary, been unusually good. The deaths were only
105 in the quarter; whereas the deaths in the cor-
responding quarters of 1847.50 were 135, 137, 133,
and 151. The registrar of St. Andrew the Great,
Cambridge, states that " very great improvements
have been made in the sanitary arrangements of the
town." There was a small local outbreak of Asiatic'
cholera in Leighton Buzzard.
" Three deaths from cholera occurred as follows :
At Lonsclale, a woman aged 51 years, cholera, 24
hours.' She had been from home some time, and had
recently returned from Manchester.—At Leighton
Buzzard, a woman aged 43 years, cholera (6 hours)
and apoplexy. "The cottages where this case occurred
are below the public road; the back premises con
fined, and drainage bad.—At Bellington, a woman
aged 17 years, cholera, 60 hours.' Drainage bad ;
the situation adjoins a farmyard. It was stated by
informant that the carcase of a calf was lying in a
barn in a putrid state."
In the Eastern Division the'mortality was below the
average in Essex and Suffolk, above the average in
Norfolk. Diarrhoea prevailed at Leyton in West-
ham, Wickford, and Rayleigh; in Rochford fever of
the remitting and typhoid type prevails. Ipswich
suffered from diarrhoea; Lowestoft from scarlatina
and English cholera. Diarrhea was fatal in Nor-
wich and Yarmouth ; scarlatina in Yarmouth, Flegg,
Walsingham, and Docking ; hooping-cough in
Downham.

The South-Western Division, with the exception of
Cornwall, was healthier than is usual. In Amesbury
and Salisbury the mortality was high. Scarlatina
was prevalent in Marlborough, Wilts; typhus in
Wareham, where, in the opinion of medical men,
it was aggravated by bad drainage. Scarlatina and
diarrhoea prevailed in Plymouth and Stoke Damarel.
Scarlatina was the chief cause of the high mortality
in Cornwall. Smallpox has also been there.
dysentery is now prevailing in St. Ives. In the Pen-
zmace sub-district the deaths exceeded the births re-
gistered ; and sanitary measures are so grossly ne,
glected by the inhabitants, that 57 of their children
have died of the small-pox, which is still prevailing.
In Bath diarrhoea was prevalent " in confined, dirty
localities, where there were bad effluvia from nui-

sauces."

In the West Midland Division the public health was
as good as usual in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire,
and Shropshire. One death from cholera occurred in
St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol, and one in St. John the
Baptist, Gloucester. A low fever and scarlatina were
fatal in Stroud ; dysentery prevailed in Albrighton,
Shiffnal ; and it is stated that the population is de-
creasing in Shiffnal " from emigration and want of
employment in the agricultural districts." Small-
pox has nearly disappeared from Shrewsbury ; one
person died of cholera in Burslem, where diarrhcca
prevailed, as it did also in Longton, Darleston, and
Dudley. The deaths in Birmingham were 1,237 ;
diarrheas was rife, and several cases of cholera were
registered. The high rate of mortality in this well-
placed town proves how much wise and timely sani-
tary measures are neglected. Coventry is in a still
worse condition ; the mortality is higher.
In the North-Midland Division the mortality was
high in Nottinghamshire ; Leicestershire, Lincoln-
shire, and Derbyshire enjoyed an average degree of
health. In the towns of Leicester and Derby, how-
ever, as ell as in Nottingham, the mortality was
above thew average. Diarrhoea and cholera prevailed
in Nottingham and Chesterfield.
The North-Western Division constantly suffers
more from death than the other divisions of England ;
the mortality of the summer has been less than usual.
In Manchester the decrease of deaths is considerable.
Diarrhoea prevailed in many districts. The registrars
mention 7 cases of cholera in Liverpool, 2 in Toxteth
Park, 2 in Wigan, 7 in Warrington, and 3 in Little
Bolton. In Hulme, Chorlton, 40 children and
adults died without medical assistance. The registrar

of Market-street, Manchester, says :
" The improved health, add, it may be added,
temper of the people of the district may assuredly be
ascribed to the' cheapness of provisions, which are not
only abundant but also of better quality, because the
temptation to adulterate food is not so great."
The population is quitting Colne, in Burnley, in
search of employment; and increasing in Blackburn
in consequence of the erection and enlargement of
cotton mills. The registrar of Poultan-le-Fylde

says :
" The harvest has proved very good, and the la-
bouring classes have been fully employed, which,
together with the inestimable blessing of cheap food, I
presume has been the cause of the healthiness of my
district."

The registrar of Sedbergh says:—
" The deaths have, for upwards of two years, beui
much below the average of former years. lamat a
loss to account for it otherwise than that the labour-

ing population have in general been better employed
than in former years, and with the low price of pro-
visions that class has been able to procure all the ne-
cessaries of life."

In Yorkshire the mortality has been slightly
above the average ordinary summers. Diarrha©a and
summer cholera prevailed, with scarlatina, and in
some parts influenza. The mortality was higher than
is usual in Huddersfield, Leeds, Sheffield, and York.
A few cases of cholera, said to be Asiatic, occurred in
Sheffield, and diarrhoea was exceedingly prevalent. The
guardians acting with praiseworthy promptness, sup-
plied the poor with medical aid and medicines, which
diminished the mortality.
The mortality in the Northern Division was above
the average. Diarrhoea prevailed in several districts ;
scarlatina, small-pox, measles, and dysentery are re-
ferred to ; and the register of Sedgfield mentions one
case of cholera. Typhus prevails in Bewcastle, High
Longtown, and has been fatal to two persons.
The mortality has been above the average in Mer-
thyr Tydfil and Pembroke ; but Wales and Mon-
mouthshire generally have been healthy. The regis-
trar of Llantrisaint, Cardiff, remarks—
" It is a most singular circumstance, that not one
death happened within this district within the 15th
of August last and the 11th of September, a space of
2,7 days, though the population is nearly 11,000. No
arrangements have been effected."
movement of the population has taken place, and no
sanitary
Mr. Glaisher has given a full and interesting ac-
of the weather.
count