The Sun. — 1860-07-12 (London, England)

ILTH OF LONDON DURING TILE WEEK.  (From the Registrar-General's Report.) The present returns show a very satisfactory decrease in the deaths for the week that ended last  Saturday. The total ntimber was 919 ; that of the previous week 1,001. For the corresponding weeks in the 10 years 1850 59 the average number, after correction for increase of vopulation, is 1,115. The deaths in last week were tnerefore less by 196 than they would have been according to the average rate of mortality in the first week of July. Summer weather has not been without good effect in the improvement of the public health. There were 17 deaths from smallpox in the week. The number is not great, and it is not drawn  specially from any quarter of the metropolis. There were 46 from measles, which at present prevails more than any other zymotic disease. Of 33 from scarlatina, 4 occurred in St. Clement Danes, and 3 in Plumstead. Twelve deaths were caused by diarrhoea, and one by cholera, which occurred to a gentleman in Albert-street, Clapham-road,.after six days' illness. A case of manslaughter was returned, and four of infanticide ; also 12 of suicide. A lunatic was accidently choked by food. Two children were fatally scalded : three deaths occurred from burns, one of which was that of a child whose clothes caught fire, Last week the births of 879 boys and 788 girls, in all 1,667 children, were registered in London. In the 10 corresponding weeks of the years 1850-59 the average number was 1,467. At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the barometer in the week was 30126 in. For eight days the mean daily reading had been above 30 in. In the week the lowest barometrical  reading was 30 in. ; the highest, 30.25 in. The mean temperature of the air in the week was 58.5 deg., which is 3 deg. below the average of the same week in 43 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher). The difference between the mean dew-point temperature and air temperature was 5.7 deg. The degree of humidity was 82. The thermometer in the shade rose to 73.3 deg. on Thursday, it fell to 41.6 deg. on the same day ; the extreme range of that day, and also of the week, was therefore 31.7 deg. The thermometer in the sun rose to 123 deg. on the same day. There was no rain in the week. The wind was generally in the north-west. In the thirteen weeks ending Saturday, June 30, the total number of 14,894 deaths was registered in in London. The mortality was high, for in the corresponding quarters of the four years 1856-9 the numbers ranged from 13,252 to 14,541. That this result was due to unseasonable cold will become apparent when it is stated that, whereas the mean temperature of the air in any of those four quarters was not lower than 52'3 deg., and in those of 1858-9 exceeded 54 deg., the mean temperature of the quarter now ended was only 50.5 deg. As a consequence of the cold the deaths from pulmonary diseases, exclusive of phthisis and whooping-cough, rose from 1,974 in the June quarter of 1859 to 2,610 in the last quarter. Phthisis was also fatal; it increased from 1,993 deaths to 2,133. Whoopingcough was rather more fatal than it had been in the same quarter of 1859, but in a much less degree than in those of 1857-8, when the mean temperature was much higher. As might be expected under atmospheric influence to which all persons are exposed, and of which all more or less are susceptible, the mortality from diseases generally was increased. But there was a perceptible decrease in the aggregate of zymotic complaints, which in two previous spring quarters caused 3,604 and 3,135 deaths, and last quarter 2,917. Though fatal cases of small-pox (240) were numerous, yet they scarcely exceeded those of the same period in 1859. Of the 240 exactly a fourth part occurred at 20 years of age and upwards. Measles, from which 568 young persons and three adults (at 20 years and upwards) died, was more fatal than any other zymotic disease. Scarlatina carried off 356 persons, and diphtheria 107 ; they were both considerably less fatal than in the same quarter of last year. Diarrhea also exhibited a marked decrease on that of previous springs, and no death from cholera was returned. Five persons died from privation, 89 infants from want of breast milk, 15 persons (chiefly young) from purpura and scurvy, 32 from delirium tremens, 24 from intemperance. Deaths from heart disease rose to 685 ; those from bronchitis to the unusual number of 1,456. There were 80 suicides in the quarter ; and 41 deaths, in a great proportion those of children, were from murder and manslaughter.