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TO THE VESTEY OE BERMONDSEY.
November 7th, 1859.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, —I am happy to report that the
general health of the Parish continues in a very satisfactory condition.
In the week ending October 15th, the deaths were only 8,
the corrected average for the last ten years would have been within
a fraction of 29; and the lowest mortality in any corresponding
week was 18. There is no other district in the Metropolis where
the deaths were so few in proportion to the population; with the
exception of one death from Diarrœa, in an infant of seven weeks in
the Leather Market district, we were free from any fatal case of
Zymotic disease, The mean temperature of the air for the week was
55°, which was about 4½° above the average.
For the week ending October the 22nd, the deaths rose to 17,
still however very considerably below the average, which is somewhat
in excess of 26. We had one death from Typhus in the St.
James' district, but none from any other Zymotic disease. Two of
the deaths only occurred in St. Mary Magdalen district, one being a
widow 87 years of age, paralyzed for thirteen years, and the other
an infant of one month. In the Leather Market district there were
also but two deaths, one the wife of a labouring man 66 years of
age, and the other an illegitimate child eight months old. In the
St. James' district the deaths were 13, one of these was a journeyman
Tanner, 74 years old; his death was accidental. The widow
of a Sack maker also died, aged 74.
The mean temperature of the air during the week was 48-3°,
which is less by 0-8° than the average of the same week in 43 years.
Although so near the average, this week was remarkable, and deserving
of record for extreme fluctuation in the temperature of the
atmosphere, the highest point of the thermometer was 64-5/10° and
the lowest 28° or 4 degrees below freezing point.
The week ending October 29th is remarkable for almost an unprecedented
degree of cold, being within a fraction of 9° below the
average for the last 43 years, and on Monday the thermometer
marked 26½°, or 5½° below freezing point. It was to be expected
that this unusual severity would tell hard upon the aged and the