96 REPORT—1843. 
monthly births to the monthly deaths is 7-6 per cent., and the least difference 29 per 
cent. of the respective number of births ; thus, while 12:4 of the January-born die in 
April, only 4°8 per cent. die in June; and again, while this small proportion of the 
January births is furnished to the mortality of June, this month is fatal to 12-3 per 
cent. of the June births. 
2. Of the grand total of births throughout the year, 467, that is, 71°75, or 18°15 per 
cent., above jth, or the monthly average, die in the anniversary of the natal month, 
and 4-2 per cent. above the average in the anniversary of the post-natal month; while, 
on the other hand, the mortality in the two months which immediately precede the 
anniversary of the natal-month is 5-1 per cent. below the average. 
3. The aggregate mortality of all births in the natal quarter, that is, in the three 
months of which the natal anniversary is the mean, is 1270; that is, 84:25, or 7:1 
per cent. above 4th, or the quarterly average ; the only exception being for July 
births; the mortality of which in this quarter is 4- per cent. deficient. 
4. The mortality in the anniversary of the natal month varies as follows, for each 
month of birth:—January, 35:17 per cent.+ ; February, 86+; March, 24-4 + ; 
April, 20°16 +; May, 31:+ ; June, 52°+; July, 20°+ ; August, 19°6 + ; September, 
12°3— ; October, 12'+ ; November, 2°39 — ; December, 10°9+. 
5. The difference of mortality in the same month is very apparent on comparing 
its respective amounts when the month is successively one of the months of the natal 
quarter. ‘Thus, e.g. the mortality of May is 31- per cent. + for May births, while it 
is 4:1 per cent. — for June births, and 20: per cent.— for April births. Again, the 
mortality of June is 52: per cent.+ for June births, while it is 34°8 per cent. — for 
July births, and 26-8 per cent. — for May births. The mortality of July is variously 
below the average for all but July births, but the least deficient for August births. 

On the Effect of Light as a part of Vital Statistics. By R. Downey. 
On the Heat and Warmth of Cottages. By R. Dowvden. 
Abstract of the Report of the French Minister of Public Instruction on the 
Higher Schools of France. By J. Heywoon, F.R.S. 

On the Statistics of Lunacy, with special relation to the Asylum in Cork. 
By Dr. Osporne. 
On the present Infecting and Demoralizing State of the Lodging-houses for 
the travelling poor in the towns and villages of England. By the late W. 
LEATHAM. 


MECHANICAL SCIENCE. 
On the Application of our Knowledge of the Laws of Sound to the Construe- 
tion of Buildings. By Mr. Scorr Russet. 
Tue object of this paper was twofold—first, to apply our knowledge of the known 
laws of sound to the phenomena of speaking and hearing in a given building ; and 
secondly, to develope certain Jaws of sound recently discovered, and not generally 
known; and to show their application to the same practical purposes. Part I. of 
the paper contained the application of the inown laws of sound to the construction 
of buildings. The author prefaced this part of the paper by describing a form of 
building which had been found to be perfectly adapted to the purpose of seeing and 
hearing with distinctness and comfort. This arrangement of buildings had been 
described by him in a paper communicated to the Royal Society of Arts of Scotland 
some years ago, but had not been actually constructed on a large scale until lately, 
when a young architect, Mr. Cousins, of Edinburgh, having been employed to con- 
struct some large buildings, and alighting on this paper, adopted its principles. 

