The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-10 00:00:00

LOSS OF LIFE BY FIRE AND BY IVA7ER.

It is gratifying to observe some diminution in
the number of persons burnt in London in the year
186 f. In 1858 the deaths registered in the metro-
polis from burns and scalds amounted to 309, being
in the proportion of 11.6 to 100,000 of population ;
in 1867 the number of deaths was 302, or in the
ratio of 9.7 per 100,000 of population. In the ten
years, 1858-67, 3,258 lives were destroyed by burns
and scalds. In England and Wales no less than
51,160 persons-25,315 males and 25,815 females
—were burnt or scalded to dsath in the 18 years
1818-65. The annual sacrifice was 2,842. It is
worthy of remark that 'the nualber of girls and
women burnt in 1865 was less than the average.
Thus, the average annual number in previous
years was 1,434 ; in the ye it 1865 the number
fell to 1,369 ; 65 lives were saved. The pro-
portion to 100,000 of population in each of the two
periods was 14.7 and 12.7. Among children the rate
of mortality in 1865 to 100,000 living was as fol-
lows :—Males under 5 years, 57.0 ; females under
5 years, 45.1 A certain proportion of the 1,473
children whose deaths were referred to burns and
scalds were suffocated through drinking scalding
water, the larynx in such cases being closed. At
the age of 5 and under 10 years the proportional
numbers were—males; 12 ; females, 21 ; at age 10
and under 15 they were—males, 4 ; females, 6 ; the
difference in the mortality of the two sexes at these
ages was due to the great inflammability of cotton
dresses. Of the 14,193 males dying of burns
and scalds under 5 years of age in the 18 years
1848-65, 910 were under 1 year of age, 3,482 were
1 year and under 2, 3,649 were 2 years and under
3, 3,382 were 3 years and under 4, 2,725 were 4
years and under 5. Of the 11,676 females dying
under 5 years of age, 919 were less than 1 year of
age, 2,743 were 1 year and under 2, 2,762 were 2
years and under 3, 2,834 were 3 years and under 4,
and 2,418 were 4 years and under 5. Young chil-
dren drank scalding water out of the spout of the
tea-kettle, or fell into scalding water. This hap-
pened often among the lower classes, when the
mother was out at work and the children were left
at home alone. It may be stated that in the year
1855 the deaths by burns and scalds (3,177) were
more fatal than in any other year. The cold led to
an increase in the consumption of coal ; people ap-
proached nearer the fire than in ordinary years, and
the cold was thus the indirect cause of raising the
mortality by burns. In 1858 271 deaths in London
were ascribed to drowning, being in the proportion of
10.1 per 100,000 of population ; in 1867 the deaths
were 379, or 12.1 per 100,000 of population. In
the ten years 1858-67, 3,367 deaths were registered
from this cause—viz., 2,965 by accident, and 402
by suicide. In England and Wales the average
annual number of deaths by drowning in the years
1858-64 was 2,629-2,414 by accident, and 215 by
suicide, the deaths in 1865 from this cause were
3,053-2,823 by accident, and 230 by suicide. The
annual rate of mortality from drowning by accident
,0 100,000 of population was 14.0 in the five years
[B5O-54 ; 13.2 in the five years 1855-59, and 12.2

n the five years 1860-64. In 1865 it was 13.6

Thus the deaths in England and Wales in the eight
years 1858-65 by the two elements of fire and water
were 45,009—viz., 21,454 by drowning, including
suicide, and 23,555 by burns and scalds.