The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-28 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Return.)
An increase in the mortality of London was
announced in the last report; and a considerable
advance is apparent in the returns for the week
that ended last Saturday. The deaths, which were
1,049, 1,083, and 1,183 successively, in three pre-
vious weeks, rose last week to 1,257. When the
average number of deaths as obtained from the
weeks corresponding with last week of 10 years
1850-9 is corrected with a -view to comparison for
increase of population, it is found to be 1,376.
Hence the actual number of deaths was less than
that obtained by calculation by 119. Cold weather
and scarlatina raised the deaths in the correspond-
ing week of 1858 (when the mean temperature of
the air was 37.4 deg., or 2.3 deg. below that of last
week) to 1,802, and therefore assisted to swell the
average with which the present return is now com-
pared.
In reviewing the restats of the last two weeks, it
appears that the deaths by smallpox rose from 3
to 10, four of which occurred in the Small-pox Hos-
pital ; those by diphtheria from 12 to 17 ; those by
phthisis (or consumption) from 156 to 168 ; those
by bronchitis were 138 and 137 ; and those by
pneumonia increased from 109 to 124. The total
number of persons who died at 60 years of age and
upwards rose from 224 to 275. It should be
observed further that the increase of the mortality
of last week on that of the previous return arose in
the eastern and still more in the southern group of
districts, the other divisions either showing hardly
alny increase or an actual decrease. Or to take a few
districts in all parts of the metropolis, the deaths
in Westminster rose from 28 to 42, in Pancras from
71 to 92, in Shoreditch from 50 to 67, in St. Saviour
Southwark from 15 to 22, in Newington from 28 to
46, in Camberwell from 22 to 31, and in Greenwich
from 36 to 67.
Six children—viz., the daughter of a bricklayer,
aged six years, the daughter of a labourer, aged five
years, the daughter of a dockyard labourer, four
years, the daughter of a policeman, eight years, the
son of a messenger, six years, and another child,
three years—all died by burns received from their
clothes taking fire. Five children were suffocated
in bed. A child died from the foul atmosphere of
its apartment, an infant from an overdose of opium,
a bedstead maker from want and exposure, and a
child was poisoned by foul drainage in Vincent-
street, Hoxton New Town. A domestic servant,
aged '72 years, who is said to have spent £l4O in
intoxicating liquors in 15 months, fell a victim to
her wretched improvidence, and her death, which
was sudden, from congestion of the brain," is
included in the present return. Of eight nona-
genarians two had attained the age of 95 years,
and one 98.
Last week the births of 926 boys and 887 girls,
in all 1,813 children, were registered in London.
In the 10 corresponding weeks of the years 1850-59
the average number was 1,581.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich
height of the barometer in the week wass' the mean
29.6 in.
The barometer rose from 29.25 in. on unds9 ay to
The mean tem-
-29,98 in. on the following day.
39.7 deg ,
porature of the air in the week
which is 2.1 deg., below the avers
issl of the same
r.
Glaisher)
week in 43 years (as determined by
The mean daily temperature was bTehloewthtehremaoymereatgeer
on every day except Thursday.est
w epsoti,n3tl,
31.5 deg.,
de gon.,
in the shade attained its highest
on Thursday ;and it felltteomt I
perature in the week
Friday. The range of
The mean daily rait ge was
was therefore 18.3 deg.
10.5 deg. Saturday's range was only 5 3 deg. The
differences betwetenttehwe masean dew point temperature
only 2 deg. This result
and air tempera
dryness of the air which was near
They mean degree of humidity of the
its minimum.
air was 93, complete saturation being represented
by 100,
which point was actually attained on Wed-
nesday and Friday: The wind blew from the north-
west in the beginning of the week ; it then changed
to south-west and south ; on the last two days the
air was calm. The amount of rain was 3-10ths of
an inch, which fell chiefly on 'Wednesday. The
mean temperature of the water of the Thames was
44 deg.

FALLING IN OF A TUNNEL.—A serious accident
of this nature has taken place on the Severn Valley Rail-
way. This is a new line in course of construction from
Shrewsbury to Stourport, and close to Bridgnorth an ex-
tensive tunnel is in course of excavation, which will par-
tially run under the town. Above the entrance, and for
some distance into the tunnel, there was a thickness of some
30 or 40 feet of soil, in which a number cf large trees were
rooted. The usual props and supports had bean used to keep.
tip this mass while the brickwork was being executed.,
leftl;
men were employed in the tunnel,
.and these bad oial:t.
work about an hour when the superincumbent msssefse 1) In!.
choking up the tunnel with earth, rock,. and tr.ee ,lffi,7
distance of 50 feet. It is expected that this
.aceiwa_l4xwe'S
somewhat retard the opening of the line, sduch ao
for nest May.