The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-30 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

(From the Registrar-Gelerar s Weekly Return.)
Notwithstanding the late mildness of the weather,
the effects of the cold that preceded it are still legible
in large characters in the registers of mortality.
The number of deaths in London returned for the
week that ended last Saturday, is 1,783, and exhi-
bits a decrease which is not very considerable, on
that of the previous week, 1,926. The mean tem-
perature of the air at Greenwich, which had been
below the average on every day since the Ist inst.,
rose above it on Sunday, the 20th, and, with the
exception of two days, continued above it during
last week. On the last two days the mean tem-
perature was nearly 10 degrees above the average.
The average number of deaths as obtained from
corresponding weeks of ten previous years 1851-60,
and corrected for increase of population, is 1,330.
The 1,783 deaths of last week therefore show an
excess of 453 over the estimated number.
The deaths from diseases of the respiratory
organs, exclusive of phthisis, were 702 in the pre-
ceding week ; they decreased to 545 last week.
Bronchitis was fatal last week in 354 cases ; the
corrected average of corresponding weeks is 161.
Pneumonia numbered 117 against an average of 97;
and asthma 46 against 25. The deaths from phthisis
or consumption were 171, the average being 151.
Half of the deaths from bronchitis occurred at 60
years of age and 'upwards. Whooping-cough ex-
hibits a considerable increase on the former returns,
for the deaths from it in the two previous weeks
having been 72 and 83 they rose last week to 108.
Nine persons, aged 90 years and upwards, are
recorded," the two oldest of whom, both women,
were aged respectively 96 and 97 years.
Five infants and an adult died of syphilitic dis-
ease ; four persons from intemperance as the direet
cause; two infants were murdered. Of 21 deaths
from burns and scalds seven were caused by the
clothes taking fire. Of the remaining 14 it is very
probable that many others occurred inconsequence
of clothes taking fire, though the circumstance is
not stated in the returns. A man who died from
this cause received the injury when in a state of
intoxication. No less than 18 children were suffo-
cated. 16 of these in
_hed _
it carman, aged 18 years, died in St. Mary's
Hospital from frost bite.

Last week the births of 1,034 boys and 944 girls
—in all 1,978 children—were registered in London.
In the 10 corresponding weeks of the years 1851-
60 the average number was 1,749.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was above
30089. On five days the mean reading was 30
inches. The barometrical readings fell fr0m:30.34
inches on Monday to 29 77 inches on Friday. The
mean temperature of the air in the week was 41
deg, which is 3.5 deg above the average of the same
week in 43 years, as determined by Mr. Glaisher.
The thermometer in the shade rose to 53 deg on
Friday, the highest point in the week ; it fell to its
lowest point, 31.7 deg on the previous day. The
range of the week was therefore 21.3 deg. The
mean daily range was 9.3 deg. The difference be-
tween the mean dew point temperature and air
temperature was only 1.7 deg. The mean degree
of humidity of the air was 94, complete saturation
being represented by 100, which point was nearly
approached on each of the first four days. The
wind blew almost constantly from the south-west.
The rain in the week did not exceed 8-100ths of an.
inch. There was magnetic disturbances on Tues-
day and on subsequent days of the week. The
mean temperature of the water of the Thames was
35.5 deg.