The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-05 00:00:00

HEALTHOF LONDON DURING THE WEEK,

(From the Registrar-General's Report.)
The rate of mortality in the metropolitan districts,
which was shown to have been augmented in the two
previous weeks, has received a great additional increase
in the week ending last Saturday. In the first week of
November 989 deaths were registered, in the second
1,022, in the third 1,132, and in the last week of the
month 1,279. During the same period the weekly mor-
tality of persona aged 60 years and upwards has in-
creased in the following numbers : 202, 207, 242, and 277.
If corresponding weeks of the ten years 1841-50 be
taken for comparison, it will be seen that the average
was only 1,044, and that with the exception of 1847,
when in consequence of the commencement of epidemic
influenza at the end of November in that year the deaths
rose to 1,677, there is no corresponding week in which
the mortality was so high as in last week. The average,
as above stated, may be corrected for increase of popu-
lation, and in this case it becomes 1,146, compared with
which the 1,279 deaths now registered show an excess
of 131.

The mortality of young persons in last week increased
6 per cent., of persons in middle life 14 per cent., and of
those of advanced age 19 per cent. above the average.
As might be supposed from the early severity of the
weather, the table of fatal causes shows that diseases
which affect the respiratory organs have been mainly
instrumental in destroying life. During the last four
weeks the deaths from this class of complaints hare in-
creased as follows:-148, 168, 256, and 298. Phthisis,
which stands in the tubercular class, produced in the
same periods 125, 123, 135, and 161 deaths, and hooping
cough 17, 22, 27, and 34. Phthisis or consumption now
exceeds the ordinary amount of mortality.
Last week laryngitis carried off 6 persons, pleurisy 4,
bronchitis 134, pneumonia 123, asthma 26, diseases of
the same class, not defined, 5. The fatal cases enume-
rated under these heads amount in the aggregate to 298,
while the corrected average of corresponding weeks
is 240. . .

-- - --.
A woman aged 56 years died of chronic bronchitis,
at 20, Star-street, Paddington. The medical attendant
states that " the deceased was severely affected by the
effluvia from the drains of the house." .

The class of epidemics numbered last week 252,
which is just about the average at this season. Small-
pox, which appears to increase, was fatal to 32 children
and five persons of 20 years or more. In the sub•dis
trict of Charing-cross, at 14, Bullin-court, on Nov. 25,
a gunmaker's son, aged 2 years, died of " smallpox,
natural (12 days), pneumonia (4 days)." Mr. Leonard
states that " the disease attacked all the children
of the family; the child which has fallen a victim was
the only one unprotected by vaccination. Small-pox
modified by vaccination is very prevalent among children
under 12 years of age in parts of his district, and the re-
sult is the strongest proof of the benefits of vaccina-
tion." At 1, Lower Sussex-place, Old Kent-road, two
sons of a japanner, aged six years and one year, died of
" variola,' in one case after five days', and in another
after 11 days' illness. Mr. Stevens, the registrar, adds,
that " in neither of these cases had the children been
vaccinated, the parents baying an aversion to it; and the
disease is still prevalent in the family." At 4, Jordan-
place, Islington, the son of a labourer, aged two years,
died of " smallpox (6 days), not vaccinated." Mr. But-
terfield remarks that the disease, though not fatal in all
cases, has much increased in his district. In the sub-
district of St. James, Clerkenwell, at 6, White Horse-
court, on the 18th and 24th November respectively, the
twin daughters of a carman, aged eight months, died of
" variola, confluent (11 days), not vaccinated." In the
sub-district of Hackney-road, at 46, Old Nichol-street,
on the 22d November, the son of a packer, aged
four years, died of "smallpox (12 days), vaccinated,
with doubtful effect, four years ago." Mr. Murray de-
scribes the street as "crowded, close, and undrained."
In the sumo subdistrict, at 20, Vincent-street, which is
also described as " a low, close, over-crowded street and
totally undrained," the son of a hawker, aged ono year,
died of "natural smallpox (nine days)." A court in
Hackney-road sub-district, viz , Smith's-buildings, where
the wife of a hawker died of peritonitis, is also stated to
be " narrow, close, over-crowded, undrained, and wretched
iu the extreme."