The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-07 00:00:00

The Public Health.

The following is the weekly return of the Regis-
trar-General of births and deaths in London and in
12 other large towns of the United Kingdom :
General Register-office, Somerset-house, June 4.
In the week that ended on Saturday, June 2, the
births registered in London and 12 other large
towns of the United Kingdom were 4,380 ; the
deaths resistered, 3,314. The annual rate of mor-
tality was 28 per 1,000 persons living.
In London the births of 1,111 boys and 1,025
girls, in all 2,136 children, were registered in the
week. In the corresponding weeks of ten years,

1856-65, the average number, corrected for increase
of population, was 1,922.

The deaths registered in London during the week
were 1,540. It was the 22d week of the year, and
the average number of deaths for that week was,
with a correction for increase of population, 1,195.

The mortality is still very high. It is in excess
of the estimated amount by 345.
In the last six weeks the weekly number of deaths
from whooping-cough has ranged from 97 to 117.
Last week it was 185, the corrected average for the
end of May being 53. Of the 105 cases, 12 occurred
in Pancras, 6 in Islington, 10 in the Shoreditch dis-
trict, 10 in Lambeth. There were 63 fatal cases of
measles, 59 of typhus, 48 of scarlatina, 24 of small
pox, 19 of diarrhoea. Six children died of measles
in Westminster, and 6 in Islington.
The following two deaths from cholera were regis-
tered :—On May 28, at 58, North-street, Walworth,
the sou of a labourer, aged 10 months, died of
" Asiatic cholera (one day)." On May 31, at 3,
Charles-street, Bethnal-green, the son of a ware-
houseman, aged 5 years, died of " choleraic diar-
rhoea" (24 hours) ; convulsion (6 hours).
A blacksmith, aged 47 years, died of " melanosis
of the lung" (6 months).
The following five deaths were caused by car-
riage accidents in the streets :—The widow of a
bootmaker, aged 70 years, knocked down by a
brougham horse in Elizabeth-street, Pimlico ; died
on May 17, after five days' illness. The daughter
of a carriage trimmer, aged 7 years, run over by a
cart ; died on May 25 in the Middlesex Hospital.
The daughter of a shoemaker, aged 3 years, run
over by a cart ; died on May 22 in Abbey-lane,
Hampstead. The son of a ship joiner, aged 6 years,
run over by two vans. Manslaughter ; died on
May 21 in Grove-road, Bethnal-green. A coal car-
man, aged 55 years, jammed between a cart and a
wall at Deptford ; died
after six days' illness in
Guy's Hospital.

The annual rate of mortality last week was 26
per 1,000 in London, 27 in Edinburgh, and 24 in
Dublin ; 26 in Bristol, 26 in Birmingham, 41 in
Liverpool, 33 in Manchester, 23 in Salford, 30 in
Sheffield, 30 in Leeds, 15 in Hull, 26 in Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, and 34 in Glasgow.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.633 in.
The atmospheric pressure rose to 29.81 on 'Wed-
nesday, and fell to 29.51 in. on Friday. The mean
temperature of the air in the week was 56.2 deg.,
which is very near the average of the same week in
50 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher). The
highest temperature in the shade was 75 deg. on
Saturday ; the highest in the sun 104 deg. on Mon-
day and Friday. The difference between the mean

dew-point temperature and air temperature was 9.2
deg. The mean degree of humidity of the air was
72, complete saturation being represented by 100.
On four days of the week the humidity was only 62
or 64. Rain fell to the amount of 1.80 in., of which
o.Boin. fell early on Sunday, and the remainder,
equal to lin., on Thursday and Friday. On the
latter day the rain-fall at Birmingham amounted to
1/in., but there was scarcely any north of that town.

King's College Hospital.

The 27th anniversary festival of this charity was
held yesterday evening at Willis's Rooms, Sir W.
Ferguson, Bart., in the chair. There were between
150 and 200 guests present. The report circulated
in the room pointed out that the hospital was in the
centre of a district containing 400,000 inhabitants,
and that it received patients from all parts of Lon-
don and the suburbs. Last year relief was given to
1,900 in-patients, 35,792 out-patients and 733 poor
married women at their own homes. No London
hospital afforded to its patients a greater quantity
of space, air, and light, or more perfect ventila-
tion. Ten beds were set apart under the auspices
of Miss Nightingale, at the charge of the
Nightingale fund, for the reception of poor mar-
ried women, of whom 168 were confined in the
hospital during 1865. By these means midwife
nurses were specially trained. There was a ward
for sick children called the " Pantia Ralli" ward
founded recentlyby a gift of £6,000 from Mr. Peter
P. Rani, the Greek merchant, in memory of his
late father. The entire cost of conducting the hos-
pital could not be put down at less than £B,OOO per
annum, while the committee had only annual sub-
scriptions to the amount of about £2,200. Between
the toasts vocal music was given by Mr. Winn, Mr.
Coates, Miss Dalmaine, and Miss Randal. The
loyal and patriotic toasts were given by the chair-
man, and Major-Gen. Sir J. Garvock acknowledged
the toast of the army. In giving " Pros erity to
King's College Hospital" the chairmanade an
earnest appeal on behalf of the institution, and cha-
ritable institutions generally, referring incidentally
to his 40 years' professional experience of them.
Since its foundation he said 700,000 applicants had
appeared at the doors of King's College Hospital,
and of the 40,000 persons who applied every year
2,000 were admitted. After dwelling upon the ad-
vantages of the hospital as a charity, the chairman
enlarged upon its educational character, remarking
that it was one of the only two hospitals in London
devoted from its opening to educational purposes,
and that the present number of pupils was 140,
while the total number educated was 1,300. The
facilities offered for the training of nurses was also
commented upon as one of its important and inte-
resting features. Subscriptions exceeding £2,500
were announced. The Earl of Dartthouth and Mr.
Justice Keating were amongst the speakers during
the concluding portion of the proceedings. It was
hoped that £B,OOO would have been subscribed dur-
ing the evening, that sum being required to place
the charity in a healthy financial position.