The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-07 00:00:00

TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—Your country readers will do well to ob-
serve the expected fall of meteors, on the early morn
of the 13th inst., now close at hand. Many shoot-
ing stars were noticed on the 13th Nov., 1818, in
England ; on the 13th Nov., 1823, at Potsdam ; on
13th Nov., 1831, at Ohio ; and off the coast of
Spain, and in America, on the 12th Nov., 1833, from
the coast of Halifax to the Gulf of Mexico, coming
from the same quarter of the heaven —Leonis Ma-
joris—and preserving their position during the period
of observation, regardless of changes in the de-
clination and azimuthal distance of the star. At
3 a.m., on the 13th November, 1834, they were seen
from Germany. On the 13th Nov., 1836, 170 me-
teors were counted from the Paris Observatory ; and
again, in November, 1837, the meteors, all " pre-
serving a striking parallelism in their direction,"
were visible. On the 13th Nov., 1838, 500 were
counted from Richmond, near London. Since that
year they have been seen frequently at various places
on the 13th Nov., and another batch is generally
visible about the 13th August in each year, pro-
ceeding from a spot between Taurus and Perseus.
The periodical visitation in August seems to have
been noticed by llolinsched, as falling, 30 or 40 at
once, on the 26th July, 1242, old style, and in the
month of August, 1029, and in the fifteenth cen-
tury —in the same month these eccentric visitors ap-
peared, and they still merit notice.—l am, Sir, yours
obediently, Cnn. COOKE.
London, 7th Nov., 1866.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

(From the Registrar-General's Return)

In the week that ended on Saturday, November
3, the births registered in London and 12 other large
towns of the United Kingdom were 4,501 ; the
deaths registered, 3,255. The annual rate of mor-
tality was 28 per 1,000 persons living.
In London the births of 1,135 boys and 1,141
girls, in all 2,276 children, were registered in the
week. In the corresponding weeks of ten years
1856-65 the average number, corrected for increase
of population, was 2,028.
The deaths registered in London during the week
were 1,432. It was the 44th week of the year, and
the average number of deaths for that week is, with
a correction for increase of population, 1,316. The
actual return exhibits an excess of 116 over the esti-
mated return. Bronchitis and pneumonia have been
unusually fatal.
Seventy-three deaths from cholera, 28 from
diarrhoea, 101 from both forms of disease were regis-
tered. 'The deaths from cholera and diarrhoea in
the last six weeks were 244, 251, 254, 199, 144, and
101. Of the 73 deaths from cholera no less than 28
occurred in the two sub-districts of Woolwich Dock-
yard and Plumstead. The bad hygienic condition
of the people is discussed in papers by Dr. Finch,
Mr. Ruegg, and Mr. Grant, the assistant engineer
of the Metropolitan Board.
The disinfection of houses in which deaths by
cholera have been registered is still proceeding, and
if the operation is performed with skill, care, and
efficiency the decline of the epidemic will go on at a
still more rapid pace.
Professors of chemistry sometimes fail in their
comparatively single experiments ; how much more
likely is disinfection to fail in the hands of ignorant
people. It should be performed by officers properly
instructed under medical supervision. Inefficient
disinfection is a delusion and a snare.

The medical health officers of Bristol, Birken-
head, Liverpool, and Leeds have given an account
of the hygienic measures adopted, it is gratifying to
add in these cases with signal success.
The annual rate of mortality last week was 24
per 1,000 in London, 36 in Edinburgh, and 38 in
Dublin, 21 in Bristol, 20 in Birmingham, 37 in
Liverpool, 38 in Manchester, 26 in Salford, 30 in
Sheffield, 31 in Leeds, 20 in Hull, 38 in Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, and 28 in Glasgow.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.843 iu.
The barometrical pressure decreased from 30.26 in.
temperature or the air in the week was 49.2 deg.,
which is 2.7 deg. above the average of the same
week in 50 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher.)
The mean temperature was above the average on
every day but Monday and Wednesday. highest
day temperature was 59.2 deg. on Friday . The
lowest night temperature was 33.7 deg. on Monday.
The range in the week was, therefore, 25.5 deg.
The mean daily range was 12.0 deg. The difference
between the mean dew-point temperature and air
temperature was 3.4. The mean degree of humidity
of the air was 88, complete saturation being repre-
sented by 100. On Saturday the humidity was 95.
The direction of the wind was south-west. There
was rain to the amount of 0-20 in. ; it fell on Sun-
day, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. On Tuesday
there was a gale of wind, and a pressure of 22.51 b.
on the square foot was recorded. According to a
return furnished by the Metropolitan Board of
Works, the average daily quantity of sewage
pwmped into the river Thames at the southern out-
fall works, Crossness, was 44,526,623 gallons, or
202,305 metric tons.