The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-02-15 00:00:00

MORTALITY IN ENGLAND

We have received the Registrar General's return of the
state of the public health in England in the last quarter of
1847, during which 57925 deaths were registered. The
average number of deaths deducted from the returns of
the corresponding quarter of nine preceding years, and
corrected for increase of population is 46549. There is
consequently an excess of 11376 deaths in the quarter.
The deaths registered in the December quarters of 1845,
1846, and 1847, are 39291, 53093, 57925 ; the mortality in
the first is to that of the last quarter, nearly as 2 to 3.
The mortality was below the average in the autumn
quarters of the 5 years 1841-5, and above the average in
the 5 years 1838-40, 1846-7.

A slight increase in the mortality was noted in the June
quarter, 1846 ; the mortality in the following hot summer
when the potato crop failed was excessive ; cholera and
diarrhoea were epidemic ; in the autumn of 1846, as well
as the winter and spring quarters of 1847, the mortality
was still higher ; scurvy prevailed in the beginning of the
year, but in the summer the public health appeared to be
slightly improved. Epidemics of typhus and influenza,
however, set in, and made the mortality in the last quar-
ter of 1847 higher than in any quarter of any year since
the new system of registration commenced.

The deaths in the year 1845 were 166000 ; in 1847 two
hundred and fifteen thousand. The excess in 1847 is
forty-nine thousand ! or not less than 35000 over the cor-
rected average of 1839-45. The districts from which the
quarterly table is made up, have hitherto returned less
than half the deaths in England ; but it is not probable
that the country districts have suffered to the same ex-
tent as most of those in the return.

In London the deaths registered in the quarters ending
December 1845-6-7. were 11838, 13221, and 18553, (13
weeks). The greatest number registered in any quarter
of the 9 previous years was 14686 in the severe winter of
1845.

The influenza was much more fatal in some districts of
London than in others. To shew this, we take the
deaths in each of the London districts during the six
weeks from November 21st, 1847, to January Ist, 1848—
and comparing them with the population, obtain the re-
lative mortality. It was at the rate of 46 per annum to
1000 living in London; the mortality in the seven years,
1838-44 was at the rate of 25. annually to 1000 ; the mor-
tality was consequently reised for 6 weeks, by the epi-
demic, about 80 per cent. above the average. Lewisham,
including Blackheath, Sydenham, Eltham, is one of the
healthiest districts in London; the ordinary rate of mor-
tality is 17 annually, during the epidemic it was 27. St.
George in the East is one of the unhealthiest districts ;
the ordinary rate of mortality is 29 in 1000, the rate of
mortality during the epidemic was 73: the increase in
Lewisham was 10, in St. George in the East 44 ; the lat-
ter district suffered four times as much from influenza as
the former. The influenza killed twice as many in the in-
salubrious parts of London, as it did in those less un•
healthy.

In the country districts, the registrars describe them as
being healthy, except on account of influenza, which is
said to have been in the majority of cases, " not fatal,"
or " not very fatal." The epidemic was most fatal to
adults, and to the aged ; thus, in the three months ending
November 13th, the deaths under 15 years of age were
1553 ; in the three weeks of the epidemic ending Decem-
ber 18, the deaths under the age of 15 were 2,846. In the
same two periodsthe deaths at the ages 15-60 were 966 and
and 1970; at the age of 60 and upwards 576 and 1999.
The mortality in childhood was raised 83 per cent., in
manhood 104 per cent., in old age 247 per cent. From
the age of 4 to 25 however, the mortality was compara-
tively not very much increased ; at the age of 10 to 15,
the healthiest period of life, it was scarcely increased at
all—in girls.

With reference to this locality we may observe that in
St. Martin's district, the deaths were considerably above
the average. In Great Howard-street district the deaths
had decreased nearly one-half owing principally to the
great decrease in the number of fever cases. In the dis-
trict of Dale-street, the number of deaths was 426 being
less by 322 than in the preceding quarter. This is ac-
counted for by the removal of fever cases out of the dis-
trict, and likewise by the closing of cellars. The district
of St. Thomas' is described as comparatively healthy, the
deaths being 195 less than in the preceding quarter. In
Mount Pleasant district the deaths have also been fewer.
Tere were 319 fatal cases of fever in the Workhouse, and
36 fatal cases of the same complaint out of the Workhouse.
Influenza was very prevalent in this district, and fatal in
19 cases. The deaths in Islington district were 42Q,
showing an increase of 48 over the corresponding quarter
of last year. Fever is represented as still prevailing; 66
deaths had occurred from typhus, 16 from scarlatina, and
11 from Influenza. In West Derby district, the deaths
were 247: exceeding the average. Influenza, typhus,
and scarlatina prevail. From Typhus there were 81
deaths : from scarlatina, 7; from influenza, pneumonia,
and bronchitis, 29. In Everton district the
eci compared
mpered
there
es
were
274: of which 57 were from fever, 11 from influenza, and
27 from scarlet fever. In the district of To
e with xteth Park,
t deaths
September were
quarter,so2: beingB47a.
From decrease
tyopfhu76
50 ; diarrhoea, 31; dysentery, 6 ; consumption, 23 ; small
pox, vaccinated, 2; not vaccinated, 9 ; measles, 1; scar-
latina, 2; influenza, 20; bronchitis, 75 ; and pneumonia, 42.

SUPPOSED EXTENSIVE ROBBERIES.—At the Police-
court yesterday, three men, John Harris, George Williams,
and George Robinson, also a woman named Margaret
Lyons, were charged as being suspicious persons. It ap-
peared that on Saturday night, police-officer Griselthwaite
went on duty into Cazneau-street, and soon after saw the
three male prisoners lurking about Nash Grove. The
female prisoner joined them shortly after, and the whole
went up a court in Bute-street. The officer watched them,
and judging that they were after no good, ran for and
took with him police-officer Burns. The officers got in
time to secure the woman, and one of the men. The
female was found to have a " jemmy," and three skeleton
keys in her apron. The house where she lived was after-
wards searched, and there were there found various arti-
cles of wearing apparel, a number of pawn tickets, pieces
of tape, &c., supposed to be the result of a robbery com-
mitted on Saturday week, in Mona-street. The other
prisoners were subsequently captured. The pawn tickets
found were chiefly for dresses, a man's coat, &c., articles
similar to those stolen from Mona-street.—The evidence
not being perfect, the prisoners were all remanded to
await another investigation.

THE WEAlHER.—'Since Tuesday last the weather has
been open, and, with some exceptions, fine and pleasant
for the season. Wednesday was the main exception, the
day being throughout the duration of daylight peculiarly
stormy, with a very heavy and almost continuous fall of
rain. The haze was also thick, and, raised by a gale from
the W. and W. by N., a heavy sea ran high in our outward
channels. We are glad to say, however, that no disaster
of much moment occurred to the shipping. One
.bark
stranded on Burbo Bank, but was got off with the rising
of the tide. The steam-tugs were actively employed. In
the town several chimney-mugs were blown down, and
some damage otherwise done. The most serious accident
produced by the storm was experienced by our townsman,
Mr. Pringle, of Bold-street. The frequenters of that
magnificently and beautifully elaborated establishment
will remember a fine dome, formed of glass, which admits
light into the back part of the shop. During the progress
of the storm, the wind dashed a great portion of the frame-
woik into the apartment underneath, and as the rain at
the moment fell'in torrents, the beautifularticles of fe-
male wearing apparel in which Mr. Pringle deals were
damaged to a considerable extent. The loss, we regret to
learn, is serious. At the Parish-offices, in Fenwick- street,
an iron chimney-pot, weighing thre.e-quarters of a cwt.,
was blown from an adjoining building, and fell through a
roof-light, into the office and close to the desk where 1114,
Hart, the active vestry-clerk, usually writes. Luckily he
happened to be absent on business, otherwise he, would
probably have lost his life. A number of vessels came into
the port from outward voyages, or put back, all of them
spreading a very small quantity of canvas. The wind-
mills went swiftly round without sails. Yesterday
was a fine spring day—rather, indeed, too fine
for the season, for early mildness is rarely safe for
vegetation in this country. Ploughing and gardening
operations are going on briskly. At Wallasey, Bootle,
and other places in the neighbourhood, the market gar-
deners have already sown, or are busy sowing, their early
potatoes. The wheats look well, having apparently re-
covered from the slight injury, or backthrow, caused by
the severe frost and east winds about three weeks ago.