The Sun. — 1860-04-18 (London, England)

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE  WEEK.  (From the Report of the Registrar-General.) The weather was last week unusually cold for April, and the mortality of London was high, though, as in the previous week, it was considerably lower than it had been in the last three weeks of March. The deaths in the week that ended last Saturday were 1,407. In the ten years 1850-59 the average number of deaths in the weeks corresponding with last week was 1,119, which, if corrected for increase of population, becomes 1,231. The deaths of last week, therefore, exceeded by 176 the number which the average rate of mortality in the second week of April would have produced. The mean temperature of the air in last week was about 5 deg. lower than in either of the two preceding weeks. The deaths referred to bronchitis in the week are 208, the corrected average being only 118 ; in the corresponding week of 1851, when the mean temperature of the air was remarkably low, and nearly the same as that of last week, the deaths from bronchitis were not more than 89. Pneumonia was fatal in 116 cases, the corrected average being 90. Phthisis also continues fatal, for this disease numbered 179 last week, while the estimated number is 164. But the two zymotic diseases, smallpox. and scarlatina, do not appear to gain force, as the weekly mortality from them has lately been less than it was in the first three months of the year. Three deaths from smallpox occurred in the week in the sub-district of Trinity, Newington. Five persons died from burns, one man from his clothes taking fire, two others from the burning of the houses in which they dwelt; two persons were burnt by means not recorded. Ten infants were suffocated in the bed clothes. Four infants were murdered. A porter, aged 66 years, died from want on the 27th of March, at 19, Phippstreet, Shoreditch. Three persons died from intemperance, besides two from delirium tremens. Last week the births of 932 boys and 934 girls, in all 1,866 children, were registered in London. In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1850.59 the average number was 1,684. At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the barometer in the week was 29-805 in. The mean height on Wednesday and Saturday was above 30 in. The lowest reading of the barometer in the week was 29.38 in. on Sunday ; the highest 30.08 in. on Saturday. 'The mean temperature of the air in the week was 40.7 deg., which is 4'S deg. below the average of the same week in 43 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher). The mean daily temperature was below the average on every day except Sunday ; and the extent of depression was nearly 8 deg. on Wednesday and Saturday. The thermometer in the shade rose to 57.2 deg. on Sunday, the highest point in the week, and fell to 28.2 deg. on Wednesday, the lowest point, or 3.8 deg. below the freezing point of water. The range of temperature in the week was, therefore, 29 deg. The mean daily range was 15.8 deg. The difference between the mean dew -point temperature and air temperature was 5.3 deg., showing the dryness of the air. The mean degree of humidity was 82 ; the humidity on Friday and Saturday was respectively 95 and 97, approaching nearly to the point of complete saturation, which is represented by 100. The mean temperature of the water of the Thames was 46.4 deg. The direction of the wind was variable ; on Sunday it was south-west, on the next three days it was west and north-west, and again southwest and south, and at the end of the week north-east. Rain fell to the amount of o'2l in., half of which fell on Saturday. On Monday showers of hail and rain were frequent, and in the evening there was thunder and lightning ; and on Tuesday there were showers of snow, hail, and rain.  [