The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-25 00:00:00

BIRTHS AND DEATHS IN LONDON.

(From the Registrar-General's Return)
The present return furnishes an unfavourable in-
dication of the state of the public health. The
weekly number of deaths registered in London was
in Ooto'bEr about 1,000 ; in tiie first half of the
present month it was about 1,160 ; and in the last
week that ,:nded on SAtuiday (Nov. 21), the deaths
rose to 1,382. During the seven weeks to which
reference is here made the mcan weekly temperature
has fallen from 55 dogs. to 44 degs. ; latterly this
depression of temperature has been rapid, whilst
other observations on the atmosphere have shown
that it was humid in a high degree.
In the ten years 1847-56 the average number of
deaths in the weeks corresponding with last week
was 1,101; but population has increased, and for
the purpose of comparison it is necessary to raise
the average in proportion to the increase. `'kith
this correction the average will become 1,211; and
it will appear that 171 persons died last week above
the number that would have died under the ave-
rage rate of mortality.

Of the 1,382 deatiis now returned, 390, or more
than a fourth part, were producedby bronchial and
pulmonary diseases. In addition to these, phthisis
(or consumption) was fatal in 169 cases ; and hoop-
ing-cough carried off 53 children ; croup, 17. The
progress of bronchitis and pneumonia in the last
four weeks is shown in the following numbers :
from the former disease the deaths were success-
sively 87, 116, 152, and (last week) 227 ' • from the
latter they were 77, 115, 108, and 127. Last week
bronchitis exceeded the corrected average by 124;
pneumonia by only 23. In the present returns
the number of deaths recorded specially under in-
fluenza is only 9.
That per3sns of advanced age are the principal
sufferers will appear from camparing the results of
last week with those of the last week of October ;
for while the deaths of young persons (under 20
years) have increased from 503 to 635, those of per-
sons who had attained the age of 60 years and up-
wards have risen from 184 to 332, showing a much
greater proportional increase. The deaths of no
fewer than 13 nonagenarians are now returned ;
all of these aged individuals were women except
two ; two of them had reached the age of 94 years,
and two the still riper age of 97.
A mate in the merchant service, aged 45 years,
died on the 13th inst., on board the Dreadnought
Hospital ship, of cholera. This is the only case of that
disease reported in the week. Two children, aged
about one year, died of croup in different families,
but in the same house, 42 Long Alley, in the Shore-
ditch district. One died on the 12th, and the other
on the 18th inst. ; the duration of illness was in one
case one day, in the other two days. Three children
died of measles at Plumstead ; of 11 deaths in the
sub-district of this name, 6 were from diseases of
the zymotic character.
Last week the births of 886 boys and 864 girls,
in all 1,750 children, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1847--
56 the average number was 1,468.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 30.125 in:
The mean daily barometrical reading rose above 30
in. on Nov. 7, and has continued above it during
the whole of the last two weeks. The highest read-
ing last week was 30.22 in., which occurred on
Sunday. The mean temperature of the week was
44.2 deg., which is 1.8 deg. above the average of
the same week in 43 years (as determined by Mr.
Glaisher). On Wednesday the range of tempera-
ture was 15.4 deg, ; on the two following days it
was only about 6 deg. The mean dew-point tempe-
rature was 42.4 deg., and the difference between
this and the mean temperature of the air was 1.8
deg. The mean degree of humidity in the week
was 93 ; and on Friday the humidity was equal to
100, which represents complete saturation. The
mean daily temperature in the week of the water of
the Thames was 48.3 deg. The wind was generally
'in the east or south east. There was no rain during
the week : but on Friday there were thick wetting
fogs, and great darkness frequently prevailed.

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS.
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED
It/ THE WEEK ENDING SA.TDRDAY, NOV. 21.
Zymotic Diseases ......
Diseases of Uncertain Seat

.. 253
. 54

Tubercular Diseases . . 203
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves and Senses
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels ... 53
Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of
___

Respiration 390
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digestion
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c 6
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, Raul Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
7
Malformations .. 6
Premature Birth and Debility ................ 27
Atrophy
Old Age
.......
udden
10
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 39
Causes not specified

DEATHS PROM ALL CAUSES 1,382
Population Deaths in corm- Deaths
Enumerated. sponding week in the
1851. of 1856. Week.
West Districts
North Districts 490,396
Central District-a
393,256 ...... 194
East Districts 485,522 ...... 290
S )uth Districts

1,261

Totals . 2,362,236 1,332
Males ....................................... 714
Fema1e5.................................... 668
BIRTHS IN THE WE?:!:.

Males ...................
Females ................

...... 886
........... 864

Total

A further sum of about 150,0001. in Australian, Rue-
slat), and other gold was sold to the Bank yesterday.
The total taken there since this day week is thus raised
to 930,0001., exclusive of any sovereigns that may have
been returned from Scotland or elsewhere.