been mentioned to me; but I believe it would be a very favourable specimen of the lower population of this city, and possibly it may be more for the good of the labouring class to bring forward some less happily situated district. This however as I have said, the Council will best determine. The thanks of the meeting were unanimously voted to Mr. Hallam for his liberal donation in aid of the Society's labours. A paper was read by Joseph Fletcher, Esq. entitled, "The Metropolis: its successive Limits, present Extent, and divisions for Local Government." The length of this paper, and the importance of the subjects treated in it, caused the reading of the latter portion to be deferred until the next ordinary meeting of the Society on the 18th of March, on the understanding that the arrangements for sewerage would, in the mean time, receive the further consideration of its author. BILLS OF MORTALITY. "THE quarterly return, to which the following remarks apply, is derived from 114 districts (subdivided into 571 registrars' districts). Thirty-three of the districts are in the metropolis; and the remaining 81 districts comprise, with some agricultural parishes, the principal towns and cities of England. At the last Census (June 7th, 1841,) the enumerated population of the 114 districts was 6,534,535, or nearly fourtenths of the total population. The average annual number of deaths registered in the 114 districts was 163,193, or 47 per cent, of the total deaths registered annually in England." 42,263 deaths were registered in the Autumn quarter of 1843; while 40,683 was the average number in the five Autumns of 1838-42. The Population of the districts increased about 5 per cent. every three years from 1831-41, and as it is probable that the increase continued down to 1843, the deaths in the Autumn of 1843 would, at the same rate of mortality as in previous years, be 5 per cent. more numerous. The corrected average with which 42,263 should be compared is 42,717. The deaths in the provincial districts were 28,525, the uncorrected average number for Autumn being 28,867. The mortality was, therefore, in the aggregate, considerably below the average. The Mortality of the Metropolis was above the average: the deaths were 13,738, or 1,923 more than 11,815, the average of five previous Autumns. After a correction for the increase of population, the excess is 1,368 deaths. Small-pox was fatal to 114 persons; which is below the average (360), but 39 more than in the previous quarter. Measles, was more fatal (Deaths 455), and Scarlatina destroyed 706 persons, 163 more than in the previous quarter. The epidemic appears to be increasing. Diarrhoea, Dysentery and Cholera were more fatal than usual, 380 persons haying died of these diseases. Of the 221 deaths by Dysentery in this and the previous quarter, 87 occurred in the Greenwich Union Workhouse during the 14 weeks (August 13th to November 18th). The deaths by the diseases of the nervous system were 226 above the average; the deaths by Bronchitis and Pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) were 2,000, or 695 above the average; and the diseases of the digestive organs proved fatal to 981 persons-215 above the average. Fewer violent and sudden deaths were registered than is usual. The Registrars in the other parts of the kingdom mention as prevalent diseases Scarlatina, Measles, Typhus, and other complaints. Districts in which the mortality was higher than the Autumn average of the same districts:-The districts of the Metropolis, Maidstone, Winchester, Wycombe, Bedford, Cambridge, Yarmouth, Devizes, Dorchester, Exeter, Bath, Bristol, Clifton, Stroud, Birmingham, Aston, Lincoln, Derby, West Derby (adjoining Liverpool), Wigan, Chorlton, Merthyr Tydvil. Districts in which the mortality was lower than the Autumn average of the same districts-Windsor, Oxford, Norwich, Redruth, Penzance, Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Wolstanton and Burslem, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham, Basford, Macclesfield, Great Boughton (including Chester), Liverpool, Prescott, Manchester, Salford, Ashton, Sheffield, Huddersfield, Leeds, Sunderland, Tynemouth, Newcastleon-Tyne, Kendal, Pontypool, Newtown. The meteorological observations have been discontinued at the apartments of the Royal Society; but the Autumn is considered to have been unusually mild. MORTALITY OF THE COUNTRY. Quarterly Table of the Mortality in 114 of the Districts of England (including the principal Towns) showing the Number of Deaths registered in the Five Years, the Average Number of Deaths in the Five Autumns 1838-42, and the Number of Deaths in the Autumn Quarter of 1843, ending 31st December.-(Continued from p. 368 of Vol. VI.) • The deaths in the metropolis for the years 1840-1-2 have been derived from the weekly tables, the Returns for each year comprising 52 weeks, or 364 days. The last quarter in the metropolis ended December 30, 1843. The returns from other places are for the years ending December 31st. |