The Sun. — 1859-12-21 (London, England)

HEALTH OF LONDON .DURING THE  WEEK.  (E•om the Report of the Registrar-General.) The total number of deaths registered in London in the week that ended last Saturday was 1,289, being the same as that of the preceding week. In the ten years 1849-58 the average number of deaths in the weeks corresponding with last week was 1,218 ; but as the deaths returned for last week occurred in a population that has increased, they should be compared with the average raised in proportion to the increase, namely, with 1,339. It appears from this comparison that the deaths that occurred last week were less by 50 than the number that would have been shown if the average rate of mortality for the second week of December had prevailed. The births in last week exceeded the deaths in the same time by 542. Small-pox, from which there were 45 deaths, shows a small increase on the previous week, when there were 40. Eight occurred in the Smallpox Hospital. There were 83 deaths from scarlatina; this complaint seems to be very prevalent in the sub-district of St. John, Westminster, where it was fatal in seven cases. There were 8 in Islington and 4in Rotherhithe. Diphtheria carried off 6 persons. The most fatal disease in the list now is bronchitis, from which 164 persons died, while 184 died from phthisis. In the corresponding weeks of ten previous years the average number from bronchitis (corrected for increase of population) was 153. The deaths from pneumonia, or inflammation of the lungs, were 76, the corrected average being 113. Eleven infants died by suffocation, 1 by murder. The following are the ages of 5 nonagenarians, whose deaths are recorded, viz., 92, 93, 95, 97, and 99 years. Of bricklayers 1 died in the week, of bricklayers' children 12; of carpenters 3 died, of carpenters' wives 1, of carpenters' children 19 ; of masons 2 died, of masons' children 2 ; of painters 5 died, of painters' children 2 ; of plasterers 3 died, of plasterers' wives 1, of plasterers' children 4.  Last week the births of 952 boys and 879 girls, in all, 1,831 children, were registered in London. In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 184958 the average number was 1,598. At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the barometer in the week was 29.940 in. On the first three days the mean daily barometrical reading was above 30 in. The barometer fell from 30.57 on Sunday, the highest point in the week, to 29.54 in. on Friday, the lowest point. The mean temperature of the air in the week was only 24.6 deg., which is 11.3 deg. below the average of the same week in 43 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher). The mean daily temperature was below the average throughout the week, and on the last four days the extent of this depression was remarkable ' • on Saturday the mean temperature was 17.3 deg. below the average. The highest point attained in the week by the thermometer in the shade was 40.4 deg. on Monday; the lowest point was 15.5 deg. on Saturday, or 16.5 deg. below the freezing point of water. On the latter day the mercury never stood higher than 28 deg. The range of temperature in the week was 29.9 deg. The mean daily range was 8.7 deg. Saturday was colder than any day since December 22d, 1855, the mean temperature of which day was 21.5 deg., whilst that of last Saturday was 22.8 deg. Snow fell on Wednesday and Friday. A dense fog prevailed on Sunday (the 11th), and great darkness in the afternoon. On that day the air was calm, and while the temperature of the Thames was 41.2 deg. the thermometer in the air never exceeded 32.5 deg. The difference between the mean dew-point temperature and air temperature was 4.9 deg. The mean degree of humidity of the air was 82. The wind blew generally from the north. Rain was measured in the week to only the hundredth part of an inch.