The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-11 00:00:00

BEALTII OF LONDON DURING THE

WEEK.

(From the Report of the Registrar-General. )

The returns now exhibit that increase in the mor-
tality which usually begins in the 11th month of
the year. In the present instance the increase is con-
siderable, the deaths registered in London, which in
the two preceding weeks were 988 and 1,047, having
risen in the week that ended last Saturday (Nov.
7) to 1,166. In the 10 years 1847-56 the average
number of deaths in the weeks corresponding with
last week was 1,039. But population has increased,
and the same rate of mortality would have pro-
duced last week 1,143 deaths. The actual number
is slightly in excess of the estimated number—a re-
sult which is not so favourable as those that have
been recently obtained.
The births returned in the same week exceed the
deaths by 516.
In comparing the deaths now returned with those
of the former week, and distributing the ages at
deaths in five vicenniads, it will appear that the in-
crease above mentioned occurred in every period
except that which extends from 40 to 60 years.
Among persons 60 years and upwards the deaths in-
crewed from 181 to 259. From diseases of
the respiratory organs (exclusive of hoopinc,
cough and phthisis) the number of persons who
died at all ages in the previous week was 190 ; last
week it was 261. Influenza showed itself, and,
though only four cases are referred to it in the

tables, part of the increase found under some other
complaint is probably due to its influence. The
deaths from diseases of the digestive organs rose
from 55 to 79. Under other heads the fluctuations
are unimportant. Three children and two adults
(the latter in the Small-pox Hospital) died of small-
pox. Twenty-three children died of mea'les ; and
five of these died in the sub-district of Whitecross-
street. In that sub-district 9 out of the 18 deaths
returned wera from measles, scarlatina, and fever.
Diarrhoea continues to decline, and the deaths from
it last week were only 27. Thero were two deaths
from cholera ; a widow, aged 66 years, died on the
4th of Nov., at 117, Gravel-lan-, Aldgtti., of
"cholera, typhoid fever (3 days) ;" and a man,
aged 38 years, died on the tith of Nov., at 2, Goul
ston-street, nitnhapel, of " cholera, after 14
hours' illness."

It deserves to be noticed that four children died
from want of breastmilk in St. George's Workhouse,
Little Chelsea,—three on the INt inst., one on the
2d. Three of these infants were foundlings. The
total number of deaths from want of brc!astinilk or
inanition in London was 13. Six nonagenarians
died in the week ; the oldest of these was a widow,
aged 96 years, who died at 7, Little D,nmark-
street, St. Giles ; she received the Queen's Bounty,
and in part supported herself, till within a year of
her death, by needlework.
Last week the births of 859 boys and 823 girls,
—in all 1,682 children,—wore registered in Lon-
don. In the 10 corresponding weeks of the years
1847-56 the average number was 1,537.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.748 in.
The mean reading ou Saturday was 30.072 in.
The mean temperature of the week was 531 deg.,
which is 7.9 deg. above the average of the same
week in 43 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher).
The mean daily temperature was considerably
above the average throughout the week, and on
Tuesday the excess was so much as 12.7 degree:!,.
The highest reading of the thermometer in
the shade occurred on Tuesday, and was 641
dog. ; the lowest was 43'9 deg. on the previous
day. The mean daily range of the week was 10.1
deg. The greatest range occurred on Monday and
was 15.8 deg. The mean clew point temperature
was 52.1 deg., and the difference between this and
the mean air temperature was only 1.7 deg. The
temperature of the water of the Thames ranged from
50.2 deg. to 54.7 deg. At the beginning of the
week the wind was in the south-east ; on the last
four days it blew generally from the north-east.
Rain fell to the amount of 0.49 in., nearly all of
which fell on Wednesday.

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS.
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED
IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, NOV. 7.
Zymotic Diseases
Diseases of Uncertain Seat
Tubercular Diseases
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves and Senses
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 46
Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of
Respiration 261
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 ''oluscles ......
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
Malformations .. -
Premature Birth and Debility 34
Atrophy
Old Age
:sudden 9
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 3l
Causes not specified

79

DEATHS I'EOM ALL CAUSES
Population Deaths in corre- Deaths
Enumerated. sponding week in the
Issl. of 1856. Week.
West Districts
North Districts 490,396
Central Districts 393,256
East Districts 485,522
South Districts 616,635 ...... 293

Totals
Males
Females 594
_ BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

Males
Females..

859
823

Total .

_..1,683

THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

An additional source of pleasure and instruction
has recently been laid open to the public by the
authorities of the British Museum. Visitors now
find themselves at liberty to pass from the entrance
ball into the Granville Library, an d onwards through
the manuscript department into the King's Library,
on leaving which they find open to them a staircase,
hitherto closed, by which they can pass up immedi-
ately to th e gallon es of natural history. But the pur-
pose of this newly-conceded privilege has not been
to lay open these noble rooms, containing the best
portions of our national library, merely for the con-
venience of the public. Throughout the entire
length of these rooms are arranged table cases, on
which are set out such choice and curious speci-
mens of block-books, manuscripts, and examp!c3 of
typographical art as have been thought moat cal-
culated to instruct and interest the visitor. Against
each work thus exhibited is placed a short account,
describing the point of interest for which it has
been selected. In the Granville Library, the first
of these rooms entered from the hall, are laid out
the most remarkable specimens of block-books, i.e.,
books printed from carved blocks of wood on one side
of the leaf only, which are thought to be Vie work of
the card-makers in the 15th century, and executed
in Holland, Flanders, and Germany, before and
during the practice of the art with moveable metal
types. From the Granville Library the visitor passes
into the manuscript department, where be will find
exhibited a selection of manuscripts remarkable either
for their antiquity, their beauty, or some touching
point of interest—of which, to quote an example, we
mention the autograph will of Mary Queen of Scots.
In passing up the King's Library from the Manu-
script Room, the visitor will find laid out in the six
table cases which occupy the length of the library to
his left a range of open volumes, expressly selected
to show the entire history of printing from its earliest
period downwards. In the six table cases on the
opposite side of the King's Library ho will find ex-
hibited choice specimens of sumptuous printing, of
book illumination, of beautiful illustrations to
books, of remarkable examples of costly and
elegant binding, curiosities, and autographs.
These rooms are to continue open to visitors ou the
usual days of admission to the Museum.

COMMERCIAL MATTERS IN NEW YORK.—The private
letters from New York by the Asia are all of a
better tone than the newspaper accounts. Owing to
the influx of specie the banks were believed to con-
template resumption at a very early date. Annexed is
an extract from a letter from one of the soundest and
least sanguine merchants in the country :—" The specie
now on the way will not make much, as sterling is
very scarce, and no good hills can be had under 105
to 106, and I expect next week they wiil be 108
Specie is worth only about 4 per cent, premium. I
am happy to say, with the exception of the dry goods
interest, there is a better feeling in all branches of
trade. The wholesale grocers are doing more business,
and the banks discount more freely, but, as a matter
of course, are very careful what paper they take. If
nothing very bad comes from England I think the
worst is over. Should we receive within the next
month half a million sterling in gold from Europe we
shall have to ship it back again in January."