The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-23 00:00:00

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

(From the Registrar-General's IVeekly Return.)
In the week that ended last Saturday the total
number of deaths registered in London was 1,090,
exhibiting a decrease in the rate of mortality as
compared with that of the earlier period of the pre-
sent month, when the weekly numbers were suc-
cessively 1,205 and 1,111. In the ten years 1850-9
the average number of deaths in the weeks corre-
sponding with last week, corrected for increase of
population, was 1,148. The comparison shows that
the deaths now returned were less by 58 than they
would have been if the average rate of mortality
had prevailed.

The mortality from smallpox continues to decline.
In the winter months the weekly deaths from this
disease
they
ysome v
have
nbseteann ciens
succession,
4sloOn;,
2i no
,the als6t,
four
w oereksse
h
and 14. Of 41 deaths from measles 21 occurred on
the south side of the river ; 4 were in the sub-
district of St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, 2 in
that of Peckham, 3 in Rotherhithe, 2 in the sub-
district of St. Paul, Deptford, 2 in Greenwich West.
On the north side measles carried off 2 children in
Long-acre sub-district, 3 in Islington West, 2 in
Iloxton Old-town, 2in Limehouse. There were 30
deaths from scarlatina, and 11 from diphtheria.
Phthisis carried off 174 persons, the corrected ave-
rage being 152.
Of four children whose deaths were caused by
suffocation, three were suffocated in the bedclothes,
one by food. Five children received fatal burns or
scalds ; the son of a bricklayer's labourer, aged 17
months, was scalded by the upsetting of a basin of
hot broth ; the daughter of a tinplateworker, aged
2 years, by her mother:upsetting a saucepan of
water ; and the son of a shoemaker, aged 2 years,
from the upsetting of a kettle of boiling water; a
boy and girl died from burns received by means
not stated. A woman died at the age of 95 years,
and a man at 97. _ _

Last week the births of 867 boys and 835 girls,
in all 1,702 children, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1850-59
the average number was 1,601.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29 600 in.
The barometrical readings fell to 29.23 in. on Friday,
and rose to 2980 in. on Saturday, being respectively
the lowest and highest in the week. The mean
temperature of the air in the week was 54.4 deg.,
which is 1.9 deg. above the average of the same
week in 43 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher).
The thermometer in the shade fell to 43 6 deg., its
lowest point in the week on Wednesday, and it
rose to 69.8 deg., its highest, on Saturday. The
range of temperature in the week was therefore
26.2 deg. The mean daily range was 17.7 deg.
The difference between the mean dew-point tem-
perature and air temperature was 4.1 deg. On
Saturday the thermometer in the sun rose to
113 deg. The mean temperature of the water
of the Thames was 56.4 deg. The mean degree
of humidity of the air was 89. On four days
the humidity was from 91 to 97, complete satura-
tion being represented by 100. The wind was
almost always in the southwest. The quantity of
rain in the week was euessive. There were 2.22