The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-29 00:00:00

unable to prevent a far more serious loss of life
than then happened. It should be stated for the
guidance of the public, that when an alai in of fire
is raised, even if correct, providing the audience is
not too eager to rush out, no danger to life need be
apprehended, as this theatre can be cleared in less
than a quarter of an hour.

HEALTH OF LONDON .DURING THE
WEEK.

(From the Registrar-General's Report.)

The London returns give satisfactory indications
of an improved state of the public health. The
deaths, which in the week ending December 4th
were 1,738, and in the two following weeks were
1,531 and 1,442, have still further declined, and in
the week ending last Saturday they were 1,240.
The mean temperature of the air last week was
44.5 dcg., which is 9 deg. higher than it vas in the
third week of November.

In the •ten years 1848-57 the average number
of deaths in the weeks corresponding with last
week was 1,142 ; but as the deaths in the present
return occurred in an increased population, they
should be compared with the average after the
latter is raised proportionally to the increase, a
correction which will make it 1,256. It appears,
therefore, that though the difference is small, the
actual return for last week is less than the result
obtained by calculation.

If the deaths in London last week had been-ac-
cording to the " healthy rate" of mortality derived
from certain selected English districts in the last
quarter of the year, they would have been 765 ;
and the excess above this point which the true
number exhibits is 475, and represents what may
be termed the unnatural part of the mortality.
The deaths referred to in the present return to
zymotic diseases amount to 320, the corrected aver-
age being 280 ; those ascribed to pulmonary com-
plaints (not including phthisis or whooping-cough)
are 307, the corrected average being 264. The
deaths that arose from phthisis (or consumption)
are 126, whilst the average is 135. The mortality
from scarlatina continues to decrease slowly ; it
numbered 106, which, however, is still double the
average. Measles was fatal in 40 cases •, it carried
off five children in the sub-district of Whitecross-
street. Sixteen fatal cases of scarlatina occurred in
St. Pancras, many of these in Somers Town, where
it appears to be very prevalent. Twelve deaths
from the same complaint occurred in the Poplar
district; and six in the sub-district of St. Peter,
Walworth.

Last week the births of 703 boys and 709 girls,
in all 1,412 children, were registered in Lond(in.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1848-
57 the average number was 1,489.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.438 in.
The barometrical readings varied from 29.0 in. to
29.68 in. The mean temperature of the week was
44.5 deg., which is 6.5 deg. above the average of
the same week in 43 years (as determined by Mr.
Glaisher). The mean daily temperature was above
the average throughout the week, and on three
days, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, this ex-
cess was from 7 deg. to 10 deg. The thermometer
in the. shade fell to its lowest point, 34.9 deg.,
on Monday, and rose to its highest, 53.5 deg.,
on the following day. The extreme range was
therefore 18.6 deg. The mean range of the week
was 10.2 dog. The difference betweeen the mean
dew-point temperature and air temperature was 3.6
deg. The mean degree of humidity was 87. On
two days the humidity of the air was 95, approxi-
mating to complete saturation. The mean tem-
perature of the water of the Thames was 42.2 deg.
The wind blew from the south-west. Thursday
night was very wild and stormp. Rain fell to the
amount of 0.79 in. in the week.