The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-29 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, Nov. 26.
In the week that ended on Saturday, November 24, the
births registered in Loudon and 1:1 other large towns of the
United Kingdom were 4,274 ; the deaths registered, 3,070.
The annual rate of mortality was 26 per 1,000 persons

In London the births of 1,101 boys and 1,031 girls, in all
2,135 children, were registered in the week. In the cor-
responding weeks of 10 years 185 G-65 the average number,
corrected for increase of popUlation, was 1,993.
The deaths registered in London during the week were
1,435. It was the 47th week of the year, and the average
number of deaths for that week is, with a correction for in-
crease of population, 1,608. The deaths in the present re-
turn are loss by 173 than the estimated number.

Eight deaths from cholera, and 26 from diarrho3l, were
registered during the week. For the first time since the
origin of the epidemic the number of deaths by cholera is
less than the number of deaths by diarrhoea. The deaths
by cholera during the last seven weeks were 207,144, 112,
73, 67, 32, and 8 ; while the weekly deaths by diarrhoea fell
from 47 to 26 in the same.time.
It must be allowed that the circumscription of the most
dangerous epidemic of the year in London is very much
due to the measures by which it has been combated ; and
the time has now come for the extension of similar measures
to the extinction of other zymotic diseases, such as typhus
fever.
The companies supplied each house with a metric ton of
water daily in October.
Dr. Letheby has described the array of disinfectants em-
ployed under his instructions in the city, and has laid down
rules for their use at once clear, judicious, and practical.
If, with other wise measures, disinfection is strictly car-
ried out, it is probable that the weakly deaths by diarrhoea
26, fever 55, whoopingcough 31, measles 26, smallpox 26,
scarlatina 42, and diphtheria 3, will be much reduced dur-
ing the coming winter.
The deaths of four persons, who were killed by vehicles
in the streets, and of 14 children and three adults, who
died from burns or scalds, were registered in the week.
The annual rate of mortality last week was 24 por 1,000
in London, 30 in Edinburgh, and 31 in Dublin ; 22 in Bris-
tol, 24 in Birmingham, 31 in Liverpool, 30 in Manchester,
18 in Salford, 22 in Sheffield, 29 in Leeds, 26 in Hull, 32 in
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and 29 in Glasgow. The rate in
Vienna Was 30 per 1,000 during the week ending 10th inst.,
when the temperature was 0.6 deg. Fahrenheit lower than
in the same week in London, where the rate was 23 per 1,000.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height
of the barometer in the week was 20.838 inches. The
barometrical reading decreased from 30.18 at the beginning
of the week to 29.53 on Friday. The mean temperature of
the air in the week was 39.2 degrees, which is 2.2 below
the average of the same week in 50 years (as determined
by Mr. Glaisher). The highest day temperature was 50.6
(on Sunday), the lowest was 26.5 (on Wednesday). The
entire range of temperature in the week was, therefore,
24-1. The mean of the highest temperatures of the water
of the Thames was 41.8, that of the lowest 40-2. The dif-
ference between the mean dew-point temperature and air
temperature was 4-8. The moan degree of humidity of the
air was 83, complete saturation being represented ky 100.
Bain fell during the week to the amount of 0.44 in.

COWARDLY ASSAULT BY A MEDICAL STUDENT —COM-
MITTAL WITHOUT A FINE.—John Lindsey Lackey, a medical
student, residing at No. 20a, Vincent-square, Westminster,
was charged before Mr. Knox with assaulting Henry G.
Howland, of 39, Kensington-place, Kensington. .
The complainant said that about five minutes past 12
o'clock last night he was standing in the Regent-circus
waiting for a Bayswater omnibus to take him home. While
leaning against some shop shutters the prisoner and two
or three companions came along and pushed against him.
He asked them why they had done so, when the prisoner
gave him a violent blow on the nose. He went after the
prisoner, and while holding him to give him in charge one
of the prisoner's companions also struck him, and the pri-
soner also struck him a second time. After giving the
prisoner in charge ho (complainant) went to the Middlesex
Hospital and bad his nose dressed, and was told by the
surgeon that he could not tell whether his nose was broken
or not.

In answer to the prisoner, the complainant said he would
swear that it was the prisoner who gave him the blow on
the nose.

The prisoner said he did not strike tho complainant tho
first time. It was some one else. •

The complainant said he merely asked why ho was
pushed against when the prisoner struck him most unman-
fully.

Barnes, 83 C, said that, hearing cries of " Police" in the
Regent's-circus, and going to the complainant, ho found
him bleeding very much from the nose. The prisoner, on
being charged with the assault, denied it. He took the
prisoner, who had been drinking, to the station. The
complainant was quito sober.
The prisoner said he had been out to a dinner party,
and was going along the Regent-circus with his brother
and friends, when an altercation took place between one
of them and the complainant, and he (prisoner) tried to
interfere to prevent a disturbance, and because the com-
plainant was struck ho was locked up. He had only loft
Harley-street at 10 minutes to 12, and could not have done
much in such a short time. It was strange the com-
plainant had no witness. He denied striking the com-
plainant.
Mr. Knox asked the prisoner if he had any witness.
The prisoner said he had not.

Mr. Knox said, then it was not more remarkable the
complainant had no witness than that ho (prisoner) had
not got any. As tho prisoner asserted that he did not
strike the complainant, and as he believed no man would
behave so dastardly as to let another suffer for his act, he
would give the person who did it an opportunity of coming
forward, and would remand the prisoner for that purpose.
The prisoner now said ho was not aware that he did it.
He did not think he struck the complainant.
Mr. Knox said, after the last observations of the pri-
soner, he had no doubt whatever that he did strike the
complainant.
The prisoner said he was very sorry.
Mr. Knox said the prisoner would be committed for a
month with hard labour.
The prisoner asked to be let off, stating that he had an
important engagement that day, and it would be a great
injury to him.
Mr. Knox declined to alter his decision, telling the pri-
soner that it would also be a great injury to the com-
plainant if his nose was broken.