The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-09 00:00:00

excess of the number to whom a season that could
not be represented as healthy, but only of average
character, would have been fatal.
If the mortality had been at the rate of 17 in a
thousand annually, which is acertained to be the
rule of selected healthy districts, instead of the actual
rate (22), the deaths in the whole of England and
Wales last quarter would have been 15,283 ; and
85,595 persons would, when the period had closed,
still have formed as many units in the sum of human
existence. An excess of deaths which is not decreed
by inexorable fate may very properly be termed
" unnatural," though it is quite true that, only the
conditions being different, it is nature that killeth
as well as giveth life.
It is a remarkable and interesting fact that if
2,000,000 of acres on which the chief towns of Eng-
land are situated be distinguished from the remain-
ing 35 that hold small towns and country parishes
it is found that the rate of mortality on the former
(2.305 per cent. per annum) was below the average
of last quarter,:whereas on the latter the rate, 2.155,
was above the average. The average rates were re-
spectively 2.346 and 2.028. Although the time
may be distant when cities will be as healthful as
rural districts, or the inferiority which our English
poet ascribed to "the town" as the handiwork of
man become much less apparent in point of salu-
brity than it is at present, it cannot be questioned
that large populations have even now advantages of a
nature favourable to health which villages do not
possess. The highest attainable health is probably to
be sought in a combination of both states—rus in
urbe. The words of an excellent popular writer may
prove to be no dream, but a well-founded expecta-
tion. He believes that we shall ultimately obtain
" a complete interpenetration of city and country,
a complete fusion of their different modes of
life, and a combination of the advantages of both,
such as no country in the world has ever seen.*
But it may be asked whether it is forbidden by this
last expression to accept as a perfect model even
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon' which the distinguished
writer himself has extolled.
In London 14,894 persons died in the quarter.
The metropolis lost about 1,000 more lives than in
the healthier springoflBs9. Pulmonary complaints
were very fatal. The mortality from zymotic dis-
eases generally was comparatively low; in this class
measles chiefly prevailed.
The south-eastern counties returned 9,225 deaths,
against 8,830 and 8,511 in the springs of 1858-9.
The parish of Barming, in the Maidstone district,
suffered from angina maligna ; Worth, in Sussex,
from diphtheria, which also attacked Newport, in
the Isle of Wight. Scarlatina was fatal in South-
ampton; and the Registrar of Landport, Portsea
Island, states that the long winter and cold spring
had produced a high mortality in his district.
In the south Midland counties the mortality was
high, except in Huntingdonshire. Typhus was im-
ported from Luton into Wheathampstead (St. Al-
ban's), and six deaths occurred from it within a dis-
tance of 100 yards. Cesspools and pigsties, till then
undisturbed, were at length abolished to stay the
infection. Northampton suffered severely from
smallpox, which was fatal in 34 cases in St. Giles,
and in 25 in All Saints. Ague was very prevalent
at Sutton, in Cambridgeshire.
The eastern counties show an increase in the
deaths, whichnumber 6,230. The medical attendant
of a lady who died at Colchester from erysipelas
considers that bag sewerage- was the cause of the
death. " The public sewers in the neighbourhood
were so defective in trapping that the house (where
she lived) was poisoned with the stench." The
registrar of Radwinter mentions that the parish of
Hempstead has generally more deaths from fever
than all the rest of his district ; and he complains of
the indecent overcrowding of cottages. It is stated
that ague has probably never been so prevalent
at Wenhaston (Blything) as in last quarter ; it
was caused by the miasma from saturated marsh
lands near the sea. Ablebodied men were the class
most subject to it. In Norfolk, diphtheria has pre-
vailed at Holt, South Walsham, and Wells ; small-
pox at King's Lynn, where it has been fatal to the
unvaccinated.

The deaths rose above 10,000 in the south-western

counties; they were nearly 900 more than in two
corresponding quarters. They were numerous in
Wiltshire, Devonshire, and Cornwall. In Chippen-
ham, where measles had been very prevalent, the
total deaths rose from 100 to 134. The same com-
plaint was fatal at Lympston and Bideford, in
Devonshire ; also at Saltash, in Cornwall, and its
fatality was believed to be owing to the cold and
wet season. Scarlatina was prevalent and fatal in
Corfe Castle sub-district and Camborne. The unusual
severity of the weather caused 25 deaths by whoop-
ing-cough, out of 82, at St. Agnes, Truro. Ply-
mouth suffered much from smallpox.
The West Midland Counties appear to have been
on the whole healthy, but the mortality was high
in certain localities. in Glocester district, where
the total deaths rose from about 160 to 253, measles
very fatal ; it also prevailed to an alarming ex-
tent at Newhall (Burton-upon-Trent), whore the
want of sanitary 4rrangements is reported as the
chief cause of increased mortality in the parish.
Scarlatina attacked Whitchurch and Market Dray-
ton in Shropshire, and.was fatal in many cases.
Four children died from diphtheria at Yarkhill in
Herefordshire.

The North-Midland Counties were not unhealthy,
except Lincolnshire, in many parts of which
measles prevailed fatally ; and at Gedney-hill there
was ague. Hayfield, in Derbyshire, returned 12
deaths from diphtheria. The returns from Cheshire
and Lancashire (North-Western) were not in the
aggregate heavy ; but measles, so common in other
parts, visited Heaton Norris, Macclesfield, Liver-
pool,West Derby, Manchester, Salford, and Preston;
17 deaths from smallpox at West Leigh. The
mortality rose a little in Yorkshire. Ripponden
(Halifax) suffered greatly from scarlatina. Many
children died from diphtheria in Leeds. Diphtheria
caused numerous deaths at Campsall,Aberford, Rich-
mond, and in the ill-drained village of Borrowby at
Northallerton. Bad drainage and impure water
caused an outbreak of typhus in East Cowton
(Northallerton). Mention has been made by the
Registrar more than once of the bad sewerage at
Sherburn, a few miles from Scarborough. In the
Northern Counties at Little Chilton (Stockton)
marshy ground bred much ague of a virulent cha-
racter. Southwick village (Sunderland) is described
as in " most dreadful" sanitary condition. In Wales,
out of 45 deaths in Kenarth, 14 were from diph-
theria, which was also very fatal at Llanarmm.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Return.)
The deaths in London, which were 975 in either
of the two previous weeks, rose to 1,047 in the
week that ended last Saturday. The average num-
ber of deaths has been obtained for the weeks corre-
sponding with last week of the ten years 1850-59;
and this, with a correction for increase of popula-
tion, is 1,237. The deaths in the present return are,
therefore, less by 190 than they would have been if
the average rate of mortality had ruled. But it is
necessary to remark that epidemic cholera had made
some progress in the beginning of August,
.1854,
and raised the average, as above stated, higher than
it would have been if derived exclusively from the
returns of ordinary years.
It is satisfactory to notice the continued decrease
of the mortality from smallpox. The disease was
fatal last week in only six cases. But diarrhoea, as
is usual in the present months, continues to in-
crease ; in the last four weeks the deaths from it
were 21, 32, 52, and 65. All of the 65, except 7,
occurred among young children. There were also
6 deaths from summer cholera, 5 of which were those
of infants. Three deaths from diarrhwa occurred
in the sub-district of Christchurch, Marylebone, 4
in Islington West, 3 in St. George, Bloomsbury, 3
in the south sub-district of St. Giles, 3 in St. Paul
(St. George-in-the-East), and 3in Ratcliff. Diar-
rhoea, however, is by no means so prevalent as it
was at the same time last year, when the deaths
from it (iu the first week of August) were 312, and
from cholera 24.
Forty-seven children died from measles; 4 of
these in St. Mary (St George-in-the-East.) Scarla-
tina.was fatal in 36 cases, diphtheria in 10. The
son of a bricklayer, aged two years, and the son of
a labourer, aged six, were burnt by their clothes
taking fire. Two other deaths were caused by
burns, and three by scalds. Five children were
suffocated in bed. Four children were murdered.
A widow died at the age of 95 years, and three
mein at the respective ages of 92, 94, and 99 years..
Last week the births of 921 boys and 831 girls, in
all 1,752 children, were registered in London. In
the 10 corresponding weeks of the years 1850-59
the average number was 1,563.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.752
The barometrical readings fell from 30 in. on Mon-
day to 29.39 in.on Saturday. The mean tempera-
ture of the air in the week was 581 deg., which is
4.1 deg. below the average of the same week in 43
years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher). The mean
daily temperature was below the average through-
out the week. The thermometer in the shade at-
tained its highest point on Sunday, the 29th ult.,
71.2 deg.; and it fell to its lowest on Tuesday, 51.1
deg. The range of temperature in the week was
therefore 20.1 deg. The mean daily range was
16.1 deg. The difference between the mean dew..
point temperature and air temperatur. e was 6.1 deg.,
showing the amount of dryness of the air. The
mean degree of humidity was 82, complete satura-
tion being represented by 100. Themasea6ni.t7emdop:-
rature of the water of the Thames Was
The wind blew from the north-east on the first twO.
days ; it was afterwards most frequently in the
west. Rain fell to the amount of 1.17 in., of which
as much as 1.06 in. fell on Sunday. A severe th-

[un-

* Charles Kingsley's 4iecellanies—"Cireat Cities."