The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-07 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Return.)
The deaths in London were 1,544 in the week
that ended last Saturday; they show, as from the
favourable change of the weather might have been
anticipated, a clear decrease on the heavy returns
of the two previous weeks, when 1,926 and 1,783
deaths successively were registered. In the last
fortnight the mean temperature of the air has been
13 deg. higher than that of the previous fortnight.
The average number of deaths as obtained from
the returns of corresponding weeks in ten previous
years, and corrected for increase of population, is
1,358. The mortality of last week was still high,
for the actual number of deaths exceeded the esti-
mated number by 186.
The deaths arising from pulmonary complaints,
exclusive of phthisis, in the week were 447, whilst
the average number of corresponding weeks, cor-
rected for increase of population, is 308. Bronchitis
leas decreased from 354 in the previous week to 289
last week ; pneumonia from 117 to 110 ; asthma
from 46 to 24; whooping-cough from 108 to 91,
The deaths from phthisis last week were 142.
Of 12 deaths from burns and scalds 8 occurred in
consequence of the clothes taking fire. Five infants
were suffocated in bed. Five infants died from
syphilitic disease. Three were murdered.

On 10th January a cabinet-maker, aged 42 years,
died at the workhouse, Bethnal-green, from " ex-
posure and want of food and necessaries." (Inquest.)
And on 25th January, at 9, Digby-walk, Bethnal-
green, a bricklayer, aged 78 years, died from " dis-
ease of the lungs accelerated by want of food and
by exposure." (Inquest.)
A girl, aged 17 years, died of idiopathic pty alism ;
and a harness-maker, aged 22 years, died of glan-
ders. A police officer, aged 36 years, died in
Threadneedle-street, of smallpox. A man, aged 49
years, died of " syncope, brought on by excitement
from being attacked by several boys." (Post
mortem inquest.) He died instantly.
Last week the births of 1,049 boys and 1,001
girls—in all, 2,050 children—were registered in
London. In the ten corresponding weeks of the
years 1851-60 the average number was 1,739.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 30'126 in.
The mean daily readings rose above 30 in. on Satur-
day, the 26th January, and continued above it dur-
ing the whole of last week. The barometer fell to
29,96 in. on Tuesday, and rose to 30.54 in. on Satur-
day, which is higher than any point attained since
10th December, 1859, when the reading was 30.59
in. The mean temperature of the air in the week
was 42.3 deg., which is higher by 4.6 deg. than the
average of the same week in 43 years (as deter-
mined by Mr. Glaisher). The mean daily tempera-
ture was above the average throughout the week ;
on Sunday and Friday it was about 9 deg. above
the average. The highest point attained by a ther-
mometer in the shade was 55 deg. on Sunday and
Tuesday ; the lowest point in the week was 29.5
deg. on Tuesday. The range of temperature in the
week was therefore 25.6 deg. The mean daily
range was 14.7 deg. The difference between the
mean dew-point temperature and air temperature
was 2.7 deg. The mean degree of humidity of the
air was 90, complete saturation being represented
by 100. On Wednesday the humidity was 98.
Till Friday evening the wind blew from the south-
west—it then changed to north-west. There was
no rain in the week. The mean temperature of the
water of the Thames was 40.9 deg. The magnetic
disturbance, which had been almost continuous
since Tuesday, January 22, ceased at 10 p.m. on
Sunday.