855

the lowest death-rates in Hornsey, Hastings, Brighton,Norwich, Handsworth (Staffs.), Smethwick, Bury, Halifax,and Newport (Mon.) ; and the highest rates in Ports-mouth, Great Yarmouth, Plymouth, Hanley, Stockport,Liverpool, Bootle, Wigan, and Burnley. The greatestproportional mortality from measles occurred in Plymouth,Walsall, and Stockport; from diphtheria in Hanley,Bootle, Bradford, and West Hartlepool ; from whooping-.cough in Great Yarmouth, West Bromwich, and Stockport ;from "fever" in Aston Manor ; and from diarrhoea inGreat Yarmouth, Plymouth, Hanley, Grimsby, Liverpool,Bootle, Wigan, Burnley, Preston, and Hull. The mortalityfrom scarlet fever showed no marked excess in anyof the large towns. Two fatal cases of small-pox wereregistered in Salford, one in Manchester, and one in New-castle-on-Tyne, but none in any other of the 76 towns.The number of small-pox cases in the Metropolitan AsylumsHospitals, which had been 18, 13, and nine on the threepreceding Saturdays, had further declined to eight on

Saturday last, Sept. 10th ; two new cases were admittedduring the week, against two, none, and two in the threepreceding weeks. The number of scarlet fever patients inthese hospitals and in the London Fever Hospital, which hadbeen 1745, 1781, and 1819 at the end of the three precedingweeks, had declined again to 1816 at the end of last week ;234 new cases were admitted during the week, against 198,263, and 266 in the three preceding weeks. The deaths inLondon referred to pneumonia and diseases of the re-

spiratory system, which had been 106, 101, and 108in the three preceding weeks, further rose last weekto 129 and were six above the number in the corre-

sponding period of last year. The causes of 48, or 0 - 9per cent., of the deaths in the 76 towns were not certified.either by a registered medical practitioner or by a coroner.All the causes of death were duly certified in West Ham,Portsmouth, Hull, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Cardiff, and in 46other smaller towns ; the largest proportions of uncertifieddeaths were registered in Birmingham, Liverpool, St.Helens, Manchester, Preston, Sheffield, South Shields, andGateshead.

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HEALTH OF SCOTCH TOWNS.The annual rate of mortality in eight of the principal

Scotch towns, which had been 15’7, 16’2, and 16’0 per1000 in the three preceding weeks, further declined to 15 7 7per 1000 during the week ending Sept. 10th, and was 1’8 8per 1000 below the mean rate during the same period inthe 76 large English towns. Among these Scotch townsthe death-rates ranged from 9’ 7 in Leith and 14’ 0 in Edin-burgh to 18’ 7 in Greenock and 20- 0 in Perth. The 519 deathsin these towns included 52 which were referred to diarrhoea,17 to whooping-cough, five to measles, five to diphtheria,five to "fever," and two to scarlet fever, but not any tosmall-pox. In all, 86 deaths resulted from these principalinfectious diseases last week, against 94, 97, and 100 in thethree preceding weeks. These 86 deaths were equal to anannual rate of 2’ 6 per 1000, the death-rate last week fromthe same diseases in the 76 large English towns being 5’ 2per 1000. The fatal cases of diarrhoea, which had been 66,56, and 58 in the three preceding weeks, declined again lastweek to 52, of which 22 occurred in Glasgow, nine in Dundee,

seven in Edinburgh, seven in Paisley, four in Greenock, andthree in Aberdeen. The deaths from whooping-cough, whichhad been 16, 24, and 26, declined again to 17 last week andincluded nine in Glasgow, three in Edinburgh, two inDundee, and two in Greenock. The fatal cases of measles,which had been ten and four in the two preceding weeks,rose again last week to five, of which four were regis-tered in Glasgow. The deaths from diphtheria, whichhad been one, one, and four in the three preceding weeks,further rose to five last week, and included two in Glasgowand two in Edinburgh. The fatal cases of "fever," whichhad been two and six in the two preceding weeks, declinedagain last week to five, of which two belonged to Glasgow.The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory organs inthese towns, which had been 47, 55, and 53 in the three pre-ceding weeks, rose again last week to 58 and were slightlyin excess of the number in the corresponding period of lastyear. The causes of 16, or more than 3 per cent., of thedeaths in these eight towns last week were not certified.

HEALTH OF DUBLIN.The death-rate in Dublin, which had been 24-5, 23-5, and

19’9 per 1000 in the three preceding weeks, rose againto 20’8 per 1000 during the week ending Sept. 10th.

During the past four weeks the death-rate has averaged 22’ 2per 1000, the rates during the same period being 18’ 0 inLondon and 14’ 4 in Edinburgh. The 151 deaths of personsbelonging to Dublin registered during the week undernotice were six in excess of the number in the precedingweek and included 32 which were referred to the principalinfectious diseases, against 43, 49, and 29 in the threepreceding weeks ; of these, 26 resulted from diarrhoea,four from whooping-cough, one from measles, andone from "fever," but not any from small-pox, scarletfever, or diphtheria. These 32 deaths were equal toan annual rate of 4’4 per 1000, the rates duringthe same period from the principal infectious diseasesbeing 3’5 in London and 2’2 in Edinburgh. The fatalcases of diarrhoea, which had been 33, 35, and 26 in the threepreceding weeks, were again 26 last week. The deaths fromwhooping-cough, which had been three, four, and one in thethree preceding weeks, increased again last week to four.The 151 deaths in Dublin last week included 51 of childrenunder one year of age and 34 of persons aged 60 years andupwards ; the deaths of infants corresponded with thenumber in the preceding week, while those of elderly personsshowed a slight increase. One inquest case was registeredbut no death from violence was recorded ; 48, or nearly one-third, of the deaths occurred in public institutions. Thecauses of six, or nearly 4 per cent., of the deaths registeredin Dublin last week were not certified.

Looking Back.FROM

THE LANCET, SATURDAY, SEPT. 16, 1826.THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

THERE are some departments of science in which ourcontinental neighbours have made much greater progressthan ourselves ; and, singularly enough, this has happenedmore particularly in a certain branch, in which, from ourlocal and commercial advantages, we ought to have been theprecursors.

,., .. P., ,.Zoology, which, as a matter of study, offers peculiarattractions, as illustrating the most interesting series ofNature’s laws, and as connected with the history of almostan infinity of beings subservient to the support and comfortof mankind, has received in England, until very lately, nopublic encouragement; whilst in Germany, in France, andeven in lazy Italy, it has been fostered by their respectivegovernments with a liberality which does them honour.We are glad to see that an Institution has at length been

formed in this country for the prosecution of so interestingand useful a branch of study, and hope that it will receivethat patronage which it deserves from an enlightened, andmore especially from the medical public.At present the Zoological Society is the offspring of a

union of individuals, and has received as yet no support fromthe government ; which has usually shown itself ready tofollow, never to lead, the public opinion. Previouslyto the meeting in April last, nearly three hundred personshad signified their intention of becoming members,and among these were names distinguished in science,rank, and affluence. Since that period, about a hundredadditional names have been subscribed, and the interestexcited in favour of the Society, appears to be stillon the increase. A house has been taken in themost central part of western London, which is now pre-paring for the reception of the collections already placed atits disposal ; and it is expected, that in a short time nearlytwo thousand species of the mammalia and birds, a numberexceeding that in the British Museum, will be ready forexhibition. But the views of the Society extend beyond thepreservation of the stuffed skins and lifeless bodies ; theyembrace the maintenance of living animals. Ground hasbeen obtained for this purpose in Regent’s Park, in whichaviaries and enclosures of various kinds are to be formed ;and a treaty has been entered into with the proprietor of themost extensive collection of living animals in the metropolisfor its transfer there as soon as the necessary buildings havebeen completed. To this collection the members of the

Society will have access as a matter of right.!1 Excerpts from editorial observations.