The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-27 00:00:00

11EALTE OF LONDON DURING THE
WEEK.
(From, the Report of the Registrar-General. )

The mean temperature of the air during the last
for night has been 14 deg. higher than that of four
weeks preceding, and the salutary effect of the
change is distinctly seen in the present return.
The weekly deaths registered in London had been,
iu April and in two weeks of May generally above
1,050 ; in the week that ended on Saturday the
number was 948. In the ten years 1847.56 the
average number of deaths in the weeks correspond-
ing with last week was 1,007. But as the deaths
of last week occurred in an increased population,
it is necessary, with a view to comparison, to raise
the average in proportion to the increase, whereby
it will become 1,108. The deaths of last week
were less by 160 than the number which would
have occurred under the average rate of mortality
in the third week of May.
In some recent returns it was seen that the
deaths attributed to diseases of the organs of res-
piration were about 200 ; a warmer temperature
reduced them last week to 167. The average de-
rived from corresponding weeks in previous years
is when corrected nearly the same—namely, 165.
Fatal cases of bronchitis declined in the last two
weeks from 102 to 84 ; those of pneumonia from
75 to 66. The deaths caused by zymotic diseases
declined in the same period from 194 to 168, and
the mortality of this class is unusually low, for
the average is 253. A third part of the deaths
enumerated under this head was caused by hoop-
ing-cough, which carried off 56 children. Typhus
(including common fever), which at this period in
former years usually carried off about 50 persons,
was fatal last week to 33. Scarlatina and smallpox
exhibit a marked decrease ; the former was fatal
in only 12 cases, the latter in only one, which oc-
curred in afamily in Somer's-town, in which four
children were attacked, noneof them havingbeen vac-
cinatedbefore one child had discovered symptoms of
the disease. A girl of 16monthsdiedof "varicella,
pneumonia," in Princess-street, Marylebone. Noless
than eight persons died from syphilitic disease, at
ages from one month to 67 years. Two persons
died of intemperance. The oldest person recorded
in this week's returns is a centenarian, who is
stated to have lived to the age of 102 years.
She was a widow, and died on the 17th May, at 5,
Queen Elizabeth's College, Greenwich. A carpen-
ter died on the 16th at 6, Golden-place, Lambeth,
at the age of 79 years, who is reported to have been
a great-grandson of Defoe.
Last week the births of 885 boys and 748 girls,
in all 1,633 children, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1847-
50 the average number was 1,489.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.706 in.
The barometer was at its highest point, 29.96 in ,
at the beginning of the week, and fell to 29.36 in.
at the end of it. The mean temperature of the
week was 58.9 deg., which is 5.3 deg. above the
average of the same week in 43 years (as determined
by Mr. Glaisher). The mean temperature was
above the average on every day except Friday, and
on the first two days the excess was about 9 deg.
The highest temperature occurred on Monday, and
was 79 deg..; the lowest also occurred on that day,
and was 45 deg., giving a range of 34 deg. The
mean due point temperature of the week was 50.5
deg., and the difference between this and the mean
temperature of the air was 8.4 deg. The wind
blew on every day from the south-west till Friday
afternoon, when it changed to noreh-east. Rain
' amounting to 0.35 in. fell on the last two days.
Noue fell on any of the previous days, with the ex-
ception of some light showers on Thursday.

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED

IN THE WERK ENDING SATURDAY, MAY 23
Zymotic Diseases
Diseases of Uncertain Seat
Tubercular Diseases
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves and Senses
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 53
Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of
Respiration .
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digestion
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c.
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
Malformations 2
Premature Birth and Debility 33
Atrophy 3O
Old Age
sudden .. 2
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 26
Causes not specified

DEATHS TBOX ALL CAUSES
Population. Deaths in corre-
Enumerated. sponding week

948
Deaths
in the

1851. of 1456. Week
West Districts
North Districts 490,396
Central Districts 393,256
East Districts 485,522
South Districts 616,635 ...... 261 ...... 227

Totals
Males 4P7
Females. 451
BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.
_ _ _

Males
Females..

885
748

Total .• 0. • ./.• Oa* _.1,633

(From the General Board of Health.)

Rise and Decline of Disease.—Compiled from the
District Returns, with Remarks, by Conway
Evans, M. 8., London.

The institutions from which returnswere received
for the week ending Saturday, May 16 are, with two
or three exceptions, the same as those by which in-
formation was supplied the preceding week. They
consist of 27 workhouses, the out-door poor of 33
districts and sub-districts, 9 general hospitals, 5
special hospitals and asylums, 27 dispensaries, 5
lunatic asylums, 1 lying-in hospital, 1 school, 1
military asylum, 1 prison, and 1 hospital for
foreigners. In these institutions there came under
treatment during; he past week nu fewer than
6,685 new cases ofli &ease.
Of these 6,685 new cases of disease 1,057 oc-
curred in the west division of London, 2,224 oc-:
curred in the north division, 1,390 iu the central
division, 831 in the east division, and 1,183 in the
south division. In the 27 workhouses 392 new
cases came under treatment ; among the out-door
poor of the 33 districts and sub-districts 2,055 new
cases ; in the nine generd. hospitals 2,516 ; in the
5 special hospitals and asylums 161 ; and in the 28
dispensaries 1,419.

The weather, which had lately been remarkably
cold for the time of year, became unusually warm
during the past week. The wind, which had been
almost constantly in the nor: h-east, changed in the
early part of the week to the south ; and during
the last days blew from the south-west and west.
The rise in temperature commenced in the latter
part of the previous week. It increased steadily,
and Saturday was a very warm day, the thermome-
ters having stood above "summer heat." The
nights, however, were comparatively cold, and
consequently the daily ranges of temperature were
great. At Greenwich the thermometer rose to 80
deg. on Saturday, having stood at 39 deg. the pre-
ceding Sunday; thus giving a weekly range of 41.
deg. At St. Thomas's Hospital the weekly range
was only 29 deg. (74 deg.-45 deg.) The mean
bar 'metric pressure was 29.876 in. At Hackney
the air was much drier than at the other stations,
and the amount of ozone observed there was un-
usually large. There were showers the first three
days of the week, but the quantities of rain col-
lected at the several stations varied considerably.
Thus, at St. Thomas's Hospital the amount which
fell was .33 in., while at Hackney it was only .10
in. At Fulham a little thunder, accompanied with
rain and hail, occurred on Monday afternoon.
It is interesting to remark that the quantity of
water flowing down the streams which supply
London appears to be rapidly diminishing, as
evidenced by the results of the observations on the
river Lea.
Bronchitis and catarrh continue to decrease, the
total number of new cases of these disease being less
by 51 than that registered the previous week (543
as compared with 549). This decline will probably
be more marked during the next week or fortnight,
if the present warm weather should continue.
Of small-pox 11 cases are recorded. It is remark-
able (as, indeed, happened also last week) that
more than two-thirds of the entire number occurred
in the northern districts, and more than one-third
(4-) in the parish of St. arylebone. The number
of cases of chickenpox, as compared with the pre-
ceding week, has nearly doubled (21 against 11),
the principal increase having taken place in the cen-
tral and eastern districts.

Meas' es is slightly on the decline, the total
the num-
ber being less by 13 than that returned
pre-
vious week. This ma'ady prevails at the present
moment to a considerable extent in the eastern
portion of the Strand district. Both scarlatina
and whoopingcough exhibit a decided increase in
all the divisions of London, the former having risen
from 25 to 43, the latter from 92 to 123.
Diarrhoea is also on the rise, 22 cases having oc-
curred this week in excess of the number registered
the preceding week. The officer of health for
Marylebone states that a case of diarrhoea, " accom-
panied with vomiting and cramps," occurred dur-
ing the week in a patient of the St. John's-wood
Free Dispensary, and that a similar case came
under treatment at that institution the previous
week. _ _ _

Respecting the other diseases enumerated in the