The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1859-11-29 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.  (From the Registrar-General's Weekly Return.)  A low temperature of the air, which commenced on the 9th inst., and oontinued during 11 days, has caused the deaths in London to rise from 1,051, the number returned in the previous week, to 1,Z13, the number shown in the return of last week. In the 10 years 1849-58 the average number of deaths in the weeks corresponding with last week was 1,114 • but as the deaths contained in the present return occurred in a population which has increased, they should be compared with the average raised in proportion to the increase—namely, with 1,225. It will be seen from this statement that the actual mortality agrees very closely with the result obtained from calculation. . .  The cold and fogs of last week attacked the respiratory organs, and the deaths from diseases which affect them, not including plithisis, have risen from 179 to =S. In the last four weeks the deaths from bronchitis have been 58, 90, 102, and 138. Pneumonia or inflammation of the lungs, the deaths referred to which head are chiefly thows of children, has apparently not been fatally aggravated by a weather, for the numbers assigned to it in the last three weeks were 73. 60, and 811. Phlhisis or consumption, rose from 132 in the previous week to 157 last week. That persons of advanced age have lately suffered much appears from the fact that eight nonagenarians are returned, four of whom when they died were aged respectively 94, 95, 96, and 97 years. Two children, twins, in one family, and two children, also twins, in another. died, having been born prematurely; and three children of a carpenter's labourer, being triplets, died of inanition in 'Winchester-court, Pentonville. . .  Seven persons committed suicide, among whom was a girl aged 17 years, who killed herself with prosaic acad. Three widows died from " febris" in the workhouse, Mile-end New Town. Five children died of measles in the sub-district of St. Jnhn, Westminster. Scarlatina was fatal in 96 csses, diptheria in 9; of the former 4 occurred in All Soula, Marylebone, 4 in Kentish4own, 5 in Islington West, 5 in St. Gibe's South. Sinsll-pox was fatal in 29 cases, 6of which occurred in the Smallpox Hospital. All the victims of this disease were children under 10 years of age, except 6, who has attained the age of 20 or upwards. Dr. Thomson, the medical officer of health for Marylebone, makes the following obeervations on small-pox in St. john's-wood:—  "Nine cases of small-pox have come under treatment at the Portland-town Free Dispensary, St. John's-wood, within as many days. I am indebted for the facts to the attention of William Orange, Esq., resident medical officer. The first, • semi-confluent case, was a child without any visible cicatrix, in St. John's-wood-terrace, the family having coine from Highgate, a few days previously, where the disease prevailed. Her aunt, at 8, Victoria-terrace, likewise without any visible cicatrix, caught the disease. The eruption was' very fall.' In two children with good scars, at 27, New Street, the eruption appeared very mildly. Another case occurred at 8, Upper William-street, with scarcely any scar. The mother stated the girl to have been vaccinated, but added 'she had no faith at all in vaccination.' llime children, at 6, Henry-place, who bad been protected by vaccination, had the disease very mildly. The last case was that of a girl at 28, Vietori4-terreee, with two good wan, and who had been playing with some of the in  fected children. The eruption 'in moderately full.' Hitherto there has been no fatality in these cases." Of bricklayers Ave died in the week, of bricklayers' wives five, of bricklayers' children Awe; of carpenters nine died, of earpenteri wives six, of carpenters' children 22; of masons two died, of masons' wives two, of n,ssons' children three; of painters four died, of pain' ters wives three, of painters' children 13; of plasterers two died, of plasterers' wives two, a plasterers children two. . . _  fruit week the births 0(9704 boys and 902 girls—in all 1,860 children were registert-d in London. In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1,449-58 the average number was 1.526.  _ At the Royal Olmervatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the barometer in the week was 30.150 inch. The mean daily reading was above 30 in. throughout the week, the same remark having been applicable also to the last four days of the previous week. The barometer fell trout 30.27 in. on Sunday and 30115 on Thursday. being respectively the highest and lowest in the week. The mean temperature of the air in the week was 37.6 deg.. which is 5.1 below the average of the same week in 43 years. The mean daily temperature was below the average on every day, and on Monday and Tuesday this depression was more than 9 deg. The thermometer in the shade fell to 255 deg. on Monday, the lowest point in the week; and it rose to 49 deg. on Saturday week, the highest The range in the week was therefore 23.5 deg. The mean daily range was 15.9 deg. The difference between the mean dew-point temperature and air temperature was 2.9 deg. The mean degree of humidity of the air was W.); on Tuesday the humidity reached 1(X). the point which represents complete saturation. The mean temperature of the water of the Thames was 44.8 deg. There were fogs more or less dense on Monday and Tuesday; and on these days the air was mostly calm, and the temperature of the Thames was about 45 deg., which was higher than the highest temperature of the air, and 19 deg. above the lowest. The wind blew from the S.E. on Sunday, in the middle of the week from N.N.E., and on the last two days from the south west. The rain was measured in the week.