The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-03 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE

WEEK.

(From the Registrar-General's Report.)
We learn from the report of the Registrar-Gene-
ral that the deaths from all causes registered in
London in the week ending Saturday, October
30th, were 1,133, and they exhibit an increase,
though it is not considerable, on those of the pre-
vious week. In the ten years 1848-57 the average
number of deaths in the weeks corresponding with
hist week was 1,020;. but as the deaths of last week
occurred in a population which has inereased, they
can only be compared with the average when the
latter has been raised proportionally to the increase,
a correction by which it will become 1,122. Hence
it appears that the rate of mortality now prevail-
ing is but slightly in excess of that which is de-
duced from former experience at the end of Oct.
The Greenwich meteorology for the week shows
that, though the mean temperature of the air fell
considerably on the last two days, it was altoge•
ther neither higher nor lower than the average of
a long series of corresponding weeks.
If the mortality shown in the present return had
been according to the rate which has been obtained
for the autumnal months in certain selected districts
of England, the deaths would not have exceeded
770 ; and the actual excess, or 363, must be referred,
as the result of a week, to those conditions of in-
salubrity that still exist in large town populations.
Scarlatina has maintained a high mortality
throughout October. The deaths from it last week
were the same in number as those of the previous
week, namely, 156 ; the corrected average of ten
corresponding weeks is 77 ' and the only week
within this series in which scarlatina was more
fatal was that of 1848, when the deaths rose to 182.
Last week it was fatal in 11 cases in Westminster,
a like number in Marylebone, 16 in Pancras, 12 in
Islington, Bin Poplar, 9in ewington, 11 in Lam-
beth. It may be added that no cases are recorded
in the districts of St. George (Hanover-spare), St.
Martin-in-the-Fields, St. James, Westminster, St.
Giles, St. Luke, or London City.
Mr. Goodhugh, the registrar of St. George the
Martyr, Holborn, remarks that scarlatina has
been very prevalent among children in his sub-
district lately, and the mortality has been higher
than it was for some time previously. Last week he
registered 19 deaths from all causes (nearly one to
1,000 of the population) ; and 17 of these were
deaths of children, six of whom died of scarlatina .
It will be seen in the tables that five persons died
from delirium tremens, an& the deaths of six others
are expressly referred to intemperance. The weekly
average of deaths under these two heads is not so
formidable—it is 3 ; and no cases occurred in the
previous week.
Last week the births of 909 boys and 871 girls, in
all 1,780 children, were registered in London. In
the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1848-
1857, the average number was 1,527.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 30.118 in.
The mean daily reading was above 30in. on five
days ; the highest reading was 30.45 in. on Satur-
day. The mean temperature of the week was 47.2
deg., which is the same as the average for the same
week in 43 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher).
The highest reading of the thermometer in the shade
was 57.8 deg. on Monday.; the lowest 33 deg. on
Saturday. The whole range of the week was there-
forc, 21.8 deg. The mean daily range NVSIA 12.5 deg.
The range on Sunday was only 5.2 deg. The dif-
ference between the mean dew-point temperature
and air temperature was 3.9 deg. The mean degree
of humidity of the air was 88. The mean tempera-
ture of the water of the Thames was 55.3 deg., or
8 deg. higher than that of the air. The direction
of the wind was almost always north-east. The
rain-fall was 0.24 in.

COLLISION IN TILE CHANNEL.

PLYMOUTH, TUESDAY EVENING

The ship Palmyra, reported in The Sun of Satur-
day as being off this port with tallow and wool,
from Sydney, put back to the Sound this afternoon
damaged in her bows, having been in collision at
seven o'clock on Monday evening off Portland. She
was under single reefed topsail, fore-course, main-
course with a reef, spanker, jib, and maintopsail,
steering north by cast, the wind blowing strong
from east by north. At the same moment the
bark Ellen Morrison, Captain Irving, 373 tons
register, was under double-reefed topsails, with
whole courses, fore and main jib, foretopmast stay-
sail, and main staysail, lying to the east by south.
It was the captain's watch, and the light on the
bowsprit end having been blown out by the wind,
the lantern was taken in, trimmed, and then exhi-
bited over the bows by the look-out man, who saw
a strange sail, and called the captain, who went
forward and said it was all right.
The first stroke carried away the bark's bowsprit,
and the second time the Palmyra's stem ran into
the bark's starboard bow. Captain Irving ordered
all hands on board the ship. While calling for the
carpenter the vessel separated, and he hailed for a
boat, but the weather was too boisterous and the
night too dark to risk it.
The bark, which belongs to Mr. Morrison, of
South Shields, has a valuable cargo, consisting of
512 measurement tons of tea, and 50 cases of pre-
serves. Being ballasted with 200 tons of shingle, it
is feared she has gone down, especially as her cut-
water was carried away, and she had her anchor
hanging to the stopper at the cathead, it having
been knocked off the rail. There was on board
Captain William Thomas Irving, of South Shields;
Robert Gavie, carpenter, of Montrose ; and Henry
Waldew, ordinary seaman, of London ; the mate
and remainder of the crew are in the Plymouth
Sailors' Home.