The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-19 00:00:00

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

From the Registrar-General's weekly return it appears
that in the week that ended on Saturday, August 15, 4,141
births and 3,573 deaths were registered in London and in
thirteen other large towns in the United Kingdom. The
annual rate of mortality was 29 per 1,000 persons living.
The annual rate of mortality last week was 24 per 1,000
in London, 27 in Edinburgh, and 26 in Dublin, 25 in
Bristol, 36 in Birmingham, 36 in Liverpool, 44 in
Manchester, 42 in Salford, 34 in Sheffield, 32 in
Bradford, 36 in Leeds, 34 in Hull, 31 in New-
castle-upon-Tyne, and 29 in Glasgow. The rate in
Vienna was 28 per 1,000 during the week ending the
Bth instant, when the mean temperature was 2.7 deg.
Fahrenheit higher than in the same week in London,
where the rate was 26. The deaths of 223 children and 22
adults from diarrhcea were recorded. Cholera or choleraic
diarrhcea proved fatal to 19 children and 10 adults. The
mortality from diarrhcea exhibits a decrease, but the
number of deaths from cholera was the same as in the
preceding week. The necessity for prompt and active
treatment of these diseases in the earliest stage cannot be
too generally known. Many lives would be saved if
medical aid were obtained at the onset. The deaths of 3
persons from sunstroke were recorded last week ; in the
three preceding weeks 11, 6, and 4 fatal eases were regis-
tered. At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the
mean height of the barometer in the week was 29.630 in.
The barometrical reading decreased from 30.01 in.
on Sunday, August 9, to 29.34 in. on Thursday,
August 13. The mean temperature of the air in
the week was 64.3 deg., which is 2.4 deg. above
the average of the same week in 50 years (as deter-
mined by Mr. Glaisher). The highest day temperature
was 82.7 deg., on Monday, August 10. The lowest night
temperature was 52.0 deg. on Friday, August 14. The
mean degree of humidity in the air was 71, complete satu-
ration being represented by 100. Rain fell to the amount
of 0.37 in., of which 0.13!n. fell on Tuesday, 11th August,
and 0.23 on Thursday, 13th August. On Tuesday, 11th
August, the rainfall at Hull amounted to 1.22 in., at
Wakefield to 0.80 in., and at Eccles to 0.72 in. The
general direction of the wind was variable. Ozone was
observed on six days during the week.

CURIOUS EFFECT OF LIGIITNING.—The follow-
ing has been communicated to the Academy of Sciences
by M. A. Bobierre. About a fortnight ago the city of
Nantes was visited by a violent storm. Flashes of light-
ning followed each other in quick succession, and a gentle-
man, who happened to be crossing one of the bridges of the
Canal de Bretagne at the time, suddenly found himself
enveloped in a blaze of light. The phenomenon lasted
little more than a second, and caused no unpleasant
effect. On returning home, the informant, having
occasion to count the money in his purse, arrived at the
conclusion that he must 'have received a piece of fifty
centimes instead of a half-napoleon. But on a closer
investigation he discovered, to his astonishment,
that the piece of money he had taken for silver
was really the gold one, but covered with a thin film
of silver. The following is the explanation given by
M. A. Bobierre of this strange occurrence. The half.
napoleon had been put into the compartment of the purse
adjoining that containing silver coin. The electric fluid
had volatised part of the latter metal, which in this state
had penetrated through the leather partition, and depo-
sited itself on the gold piece with remarkable uniformity.
This is the first time such an effect has ever been olgerved.