The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-22 00:00:00

THE HI ALTH OF LONDON.

The following interesting summary of births, deaths,
and causes of deaths in London, with meteorological
observations, for the 15 years 1842-1856, compiled chiefly
from the weekly retirns, has ju,t been published by
authority of the Registrar-General :

1856—Births { Males
44,159
}Total 86,833
Females 42674
it 56—Deaths { .Males 28,894
Total 56,786
Females 27,92 1
1856—Population
(Estimated for Males 1,225,546
Total 2,616,248
the middle of Females 1,390,70'
the year)

" In the 52 weeks that ended December 27 the num•
ber ot children burn in London was 86,833. According
to a rule which holds invariably in thib large population,
the number of males exceeded that of females, for the
births consisted of 44,159 boys and 42,674 girls. In the
same peri,d 56,786 persons died—namely, 28,894 males
and 27,892 females. The births increase more or less
rapidly with the population; and under a reduced rate
of mortality the number of deaths in 1856 was leas than
that of any previous year since 1852, ,snd the result is an
excess greater than Atli obtained in any former bear of
births over deaths. This excess is 30,047. Soldiers and
seamen have returned from the seat of war, persons en•
gaged in peaceful pursuits have arrived iu the capital
from other parts ot the United Kingdom and from
abroad, and, though many have left it for other homes,
it may be assumed that sustenance, clothing, and hou:,
accommodation must now be found in London for abau•
60,000 inhabitants more than it contained at the end of
1855.

" Laet year the public health was unusually good.
During the last 10 years the anneal deaths in London
have been on the average 25 to 1,000 of the population; in
1856 the proportion was 22 to 1,000. The mortality was
lower than in any year within thelimits of this comparison
except 1850, when it was slightly less than 21 in 1,000, a
reduction which, it is probable, was partly the conse-
quence of the premature destruction of infirm persons
by the cholera of the previous year. That improved
state of health which last year prevailed in London as a
whole was in various degrees enjoyed by each of the five
great divisions of which it is composed. The mortality
ranged from 21 in the western and northern divisions to
23 in the eastern. But without reference to the rate of
mortality—or the proportion of deaths to population
which alone furnishes a criterion of health, a comparisoni some
of deaths registered in the several dis ricts will
ress
in erog .
cases strikingly indicate the changes always. r
In the component parts of the vast
-d• Westniin-
to which the term `London' is now ap,43,mh
v ent with some
' e Int.teguitY'
ster, selected for measures of improvement
"d decrease in the
other districts, exhibited a
dercigton, of brick
Lewisham—de-
sirable ; while in Kensington,
ioBultneiirts—the deaths fol-
sirable neighbourhoods on the m
ore manifest iuci ease.
lowing population show a
,tillndttions of the year appear to
"The meteorological
favourableconditions
to health. The mean
have been generally Greenwich was 49.1 deg., which approxi-
temperature at as obtained from a long
mates closely to the average
February,'
The winter—viz.,January,
series of years.
and March, was mild ; the mean weekly temperature
was frequently above 42 deg., and rose as high as 44
.
and in the filth week of the ear the
deg. and 47 deg-,),
Diarrbma prevailed 3 infants
in fell to 94.. among infants
in summer, which to other classes of the couneunity is
the healthiest season ; and hence, though the moitatity
rather higher in winter than in
was the other quarters,
its uniformity throughout the year is remarkable. An
exception to this statement must be made with regard
to October, which was conspicuous among the months
for its low rate of mortality, the weekly deaths having
been considerably less than 1,000. The mean tempera-
ture during great part of that month was 53 deg. The
most fatal period was the first week in December, when
the deaths rose above 1,300, in consequence of the great
rigour cernbieed with sudden chance in the state of the
atmosphere. 22 inches of rain fell in 1856 ; the average
of the last 40 years is nearly 20. In the second quarter
the rain-fall was in excess of the average. The horizon-
tal movement of the air was, on an average, lour miles
an hour.

The decline of smallpox in London may be traced
through the last seven quarters. In the spring quarter