The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-13 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON .DUI?ING 2HE WEER:

(From the _Regtstrar-Ge;icrel's Weekly _Return.)

The London returns for the week that ended last
Saturday exhibit a great increase. The deaths, which
were less than 1,100 in each of the last three weeks
of October, rose to 1,251 in the first week of Nov.
Last week they exceeded by 41 the number which
would have been returned if the average rate of
mortality had prevailed.

There is an increase under many heads in the
Table of Fatal Diseases. In the last two weeks
scarlatina rose from 94 to 111, whooping• cough from
35 to 45, phthisis from 124 to 159, apoplexy from
18 to 33, disease of the heart from 47 to 67, pneu-
monia from 70 to 89, and disease of the liver from
8 to 21. Scarlatina appears to be very prevalent in
some parts of the metropolis. Four deaths occurred
from it in the North-west sub-district of Chelsea, 4
in Camden-town, 7 in the East sub-district of Isling-
ton, 4 in South Hackney, 8 in Clerken well, 4 in the
sub-district of Whitechapel Church, 4 in that of St.
Paul's (St. George's•in-the-East), and 9 in the two
Waterloo-road sub-districts of Lambeth. There
were 19 deaths from diphtheria. There was 1 from
privation.

Three children died of diphtheria in the Children's
Hospital, Great Ormond-street. The Registrar of
the first Waterloo-road sub-district records 4 deaths
from scarlatina, and reports that Sea Lion-place and
Brad-terrace are in bad sanitary condition. He
states that recent railway operations in that neigh-
bourhood had deprived the people of the little light
and air they formerly possessed. In the sub-district
of Woolwich Dockyard, in a house 2, Andrew's-
buildings, 4 children of one family have died since
Oct. 13-1 of cholera, 3 Of scarlatina; and 2 others
are now suffering from fever.

Last week the births of 840 boys and 870 girls,
in all 1,710 children, were registered in London.
In the 10 corresponding weeks of the year 1851-60
the average number was 1,647.
COMPOSITION OF TILE THAMES WATER IN 1860.
Dr. Letheby, the medical officer of health to the
city, has prepared a set of tables which exhibit the
mean composition of the water of the Thames for
the v( hole of the year 1860, as it was obtained at
high. tide at London-bridge in mid-stream and at 6
feet from the shore on the city side. The results aro
also stated for each month and each quarter of the
year. The analysis shows the several proportions of
organic and mineral matter in dissolution, and these
of organic and mineral matter in suspension ; the
ammonia, the combined sulphuric acid, and alkaline
chlorides. The "appearance on standing," odour
of the water, colour of deposit, have been observed ;
and the results as ascertained at different times are
seen in connexion with the highest and mean tem-
perature of the river, and with the rain-fall.

The rain-fall of 1860 was rather large; it amounted
to 27 inches, and the volume of the river was in
consequence more than usually adequate to resist
the current of sea water, only a small proportion of
which advanced with the tide to London-bridge.
For this reason the composition of the water in that
year may be fairly taken to represent the normal
condition of the river, and to furnish a standard
with which the water as obtained at similar times
and places in subsequent years may be compared.

In the year the mean quantity of matter in mid-
stream was 38.6 grs. in an imperial gallon, of which
32.2 grs. were dissolved, 6.4 gra. suspended. The
proportions were rather less at six feet from the
shore. Of the 38.6 grs., 33.9 grs. were mineral, 4.7
grs. organic. The monthly means of total quantity
rose to 57'2 grs. in August, and 67.6 grs. in Sep-
tember, and fell to 26 grs. in December. Though
the mean temperature of the water was higher in
July than in August and September, the quantity
of matter was then much less than it was in either
of the two subsequent months, and even less than
it was in May, when the temperature of the water
was much lower, but the rain-fall considerable. In
August and September there was an increase in
dissolved organic constituents, but the augmented
weight of matter was found almost entirely in the
alkaline chlorides.

The suspended matter is subject to great varia-
tion. Dr. Letheby states that "it averages about six
grains to the gallon, but during strong winds and
heavy seas, as at the equinoxes, the proportion rises
to 14 or 15 grs. per gallon. It consists for the most
part of finely divided clay from the shores of the
river, and of living organisms of the diatomacious
class, as navicula and bacillaria. There is also a
small proportion of sewage matter, as broken up
muscular tissues, and the cellular tissue of wheat,
as well as the peculiar yellow fungus which is cha-
racteristic of sewage."
He adds that " the condition of the river during
the summer of 1860 presented a marked contrast to
that of 1858 and 1859, when the proportions of dis-
solved constituents ranged from 158 to 410 grs. per
gallon, of which from 16 to 23 were organic, and
the odour was mostj offensive. The circumstances
which determine the production of this effluvium
are the presence of sewage mixed with large quan-
tities of sea water,
and a high temperature."
At the Roy
al Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29 460
inches. The barometrical readings rose to 29.86
inches on Monday, and fell to 29.21 inches on Fri-
day. The mean temperature of the air in the week
was 42 deg., which is 34 deg. below the average of
the same week in 43 years (as determined by Mr.
Glaisher). The mean daily temperature was 5 and
6 deg. below, the averages or. four days of the week.
The lowest night temperature was 29.2 deg. on
Monday, or 2.8 deg. below the freezing point of
water. The highest day temperature was 55. dec,
and occurred on the following day. The range of 3
the thermometer in the week was therefore 0,
,6,ne
deg. The mean daily range was 16 6 deg.
1
difference between the mean dery -point temper.,-4
ture and air temperture wa deg. The mean
s 3
degree of humidity of the air was 89, complete
saturation being represented
by 100.
The mean
temperature of the :of the Thames was 484
ld waterirection of the wind was smith-
deg.
west.
non the m
ornino. of day. There was
Thera
Thegeanmeount of rain was 0.81 inch, most of
which
4.). the evenings TuesTues
of Wednesday and
Thursday,;
iwigehinb
fell
on

An auction of the foreign Redeemable Debt of
Spain will take place at Madrid on the 29th instant, The
assigned. for thy purpose is 4,015,072 teaks,