The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-29 00:00:00

REALM- OF LONDON DURING THE

WEEK.

(Front the Report of the Registrar-General.)

The mortality of London, which from 1,397
deaths in the first week of the current month rose
to 1,563 in the following week, made a further ad-
vance in the week that ended last Saturday, in
which the number was 1,611. In the ten years
1850-59 the average number of deaths in the week
corresponding with last week, when raised in pro-
portion to increase of population, is 1,367. The re-
sult of comparison is an excess in last week of 244
deaths over the number which the average rate of
mortality in the middle of March would have pro-
duced.

A reference to the lists of fatal diseases in the last
three weeks-will bear out that which will be the most
ready conjecture regarding so great an increase—
that it has arisen from the unseasonable nature of
the weather. In the periods mentioned the deaths
from pulmonary diseases, exclusive of phthisis,
were successively 387, 450, and 485 ; those from
whooping-cough, which stand in the zymotic
class, were 42, 45, and 62 ; those from phthisis
or consumption were 143, 171, and 167. The
deaths from bronchitis rose to 284 last week, of
which 94, almost entirely amongst infants, occurred
to persons under 20 years of age; 13 in the period
20-40 years ; 55 at 40-60 years ; 103 at 60-80 years ;
19 at 80 years of age and upwards. The deaths
from bronchitis were more numerous last week by
135 than they would have been if the mortality
from this disease had not exceeded the corrected
average. Pneumonia, or inflammation of the lungs,
is also more fatal than usual. There were 5 deaths
from typhus in the sub-district of Hackney-road.
Seven infants died last week from suffocation in
bed. Five children were burnt to death by their
clothes taking fire, three died from burns received
in a manner not stated, one was scalded, and a gen-
tleman lost his life in consequence of the clothes
taking fire when he was reading in bed. Amongst
the calamitous results of the late strike may be re-
corded the death of a bricklayer, aged 48 years, in
Bethnal-green, in whom " ossification of the heart
was accelerated by drinking, fretting, and hard
living," in consequence of the enforced interruption
of employment.

Last week the births of 918 boys amd 927 girls,
in all 1,845 children, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1850-
59, the average number was 1.702.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29,557 in.
The readings of the instrument fell from 30.04 in.,
the highest in the week on Monday, to 28.90 in. the
lowest on Saturday. The mean temperature of the
air in the week was 43.01 deg., which is 1.2 deg.
above the average of the same week in 43 years (as
determined by Mr. Glaisher). The temperature
fell considerably towards the end of the week, and
on the last three days the mean was below the ave-
rage. The thermometer in the shade rose to 55
deg. on Sunday, the highest point attained in the
week; and it fell to 32.2 deg. on Thursday, its
lowest point. The range of temperature in the
week was, therefore, 22.8 deg. The mean daily
range was 14.3. The difference between the mean
dew-point temperature and air temperature was
6.4 deg., showing the dryness of the air. The mean
degree of humidity was 80, saturation being repre-
sented by 100. The wind blew from the south-
west and west. The mean temperature of the water
of the Thames was 44 2 deg. Rain fell to the
amount of 0.26 in., of which nearly two•tenths of
an inch fell on Friday. There were showers of hail
on Thursday and Saturday.