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fail to be marked by obvious symptoms of a more or less serious
and painful nature. The mere finding of the "cause of death,"
in such cases, seems scarcely to satisfy the requirements of
justice; considering that the death of any person—and particularly
of one very young or very aged—from such diseases as
pneumonia, bronchitis, &c., when there has been no medical
attendance, raises a presumption of neglect which would justify
a verdict of "manslaughter;" equally as in the case of the
"peculiar people," who, whilst treating their sick with care, in
other respects, refuse, on mistaken "conscientious" grounds,
to employ medical assistance, and who, as a consequence of
such refusal, death having ensued, have, on several occasions,
been found guilty of manslaughter.
The inquest cases in Kensington were in the proportion of
5.8 per cent, of the total deaths; the rate in the Metropolis
being 7.4 per cent., and in England and Wales 5.6 per cent.
The reported deaths from different forms of violence were
equal to 2.3 per cent, of the deaths from all causes in Kensington,
the proportion in the Metropolis being 3.7 per cent., and
in England and Wales 3.3 per cent.
METEOROLOGY.
The mean temperature of the air at Greenwich, in 1888,
was 47°.7 Fahrenheit, 10 below the average of 115 years and
1.6 below the average of 45 years: the means in the four
quarters respectively were 36.9, 51.6, 57.6, and 44.6. The
highest reading by day (89.0) was registered in the week ended
June 9th, and the lowest reading by night (18.4) in the week
ended February 4th. The highest weekly readings by day, in
the four quarters respectively, were 56.5, 89.0, 87.7, and 684;
and of the lowest readings by night, 18.4, 26.3, 414, and 24.8.
The hottest week was that which ended August 11th (mean
temperature, 63.9), and the coldest week that which ended
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