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sunshine registered was much in excess of the average. Westminster
has, as a rule, less sunshine than the suburbs, but in June, July and
August there was a gain of 255 hours, equal to 50 per cent. of the
normal. Westminster had exceeded its usual total annual average of
1,144 hours by 103 hours at the end of August, and by the end of
September this was increased to 300 hours.
According to the Greenwich records, no rain fell on 26 days in July
(there were small amounts on the 24th, 25th, 26th and 29th), on 23
days in August (a small amount fell on the 1st, none until the 19th,
when over half an inch fell, and from then until the end of the month
there were small amounts on several days, the 30th giving 32 inch—
the total being 1.34 inch), and on 20 days in September, chiefly in the
earlier part of the month. In Westminster, however, there was a very
heavy downfall on the evening of the 28th July, which the sewers in
parts of the city were unable to cope with at once, thereby leading
to flooding of houses.
One effect of the anomalous conditions of the summer upon
health was a great increase in deaths from diarrhceal complaints. The
prolonged heat caused great difficulty in the keeping of food of all kinds.
Persons dealing in foodstuffs may be expected to provide proper means
for preserving the food in a fresh state, but householders, as a rule,
make no provision for this in the hot weather. As regards milk, the
arrangements for its transport and distribution leave much to be
desired. If it could be kept cool from the time it leaves the farmer
until it reaches the consumer, there would be less complaint that it
had become unfit for consumption soon after it was bought.
The death rate of London during the third quarter rose to 15.5 (the
rate in the previous ten years averaged 13.9 per 1,000); for Westminster
the rate was 11.9 (the decennial average being ll'l).
In
the three months it was for London and Westminster as follows :—-

This rise was largely due to diarrhoeal complaints, affecting principally
young children. The deaths, from all forms, of children under 2 years
of age in the year amounted to 5,313; in Westminster there were 57
at the same age period. Most of these occurred in the months JulyOctober.
The rise and decline is shown in the following figures.