DISEASES AND MORTALITY. 787 



The greatest number died from consumption 

 in spring, owing to the result of the previous win- 

 ter's cold, as suggested by Mr. Farr. But this is 

 not the only class of diseases that prove more ex- 

 tensively fatal during winter than any of the other 

 seasons, as will be seen in the following table, the 

 upper line of which represents the mortality of 

 London from all diseases in 1838.* 



Winter. Spring. Summer. Autumn. 



15,611 .. 13,109 .. 11,937 .. 12,581 



Apoplexy 299 .. 241 .. 201 .. 246 



Paralysis 234 .. 181 .. 135 .. 187 



Dropsy 501 .. 427 .. 375 .. 465 



Typhus 1,285 .. 1,175 .. 829 .. 788 



Old age 1,383 .. 969 .. 778 .. 981 



Sudden death .. 216 .. 165 .. 105 .. 146 



1838 to 1841. 

 Diseases of child- 

 bed 310 .. 261 .. 217 .. 309 



Diseases of the 



heart 739 .. 556 .. 571 .. 698 



Mortification... 217 .. 177 .. 153 .. 171 



Ulcer 23 .. 16 .. 9 .. 13 



Phlegmon 9.. 2.. 3.. 1 



Rheumatism 124 .. 113 .. 99 .. 117 



Insanity 73 .. 45 .. 35 .. 42 



(Second Report of the Registrar General, pp. 88, 90, 



98, and Third Report, p. 105.) 



* Mr. Farr says, that the ratio of mortality in the different 

 seasons has been about the same in England for the last one hun- 

 dred and forty years, and is doubtless nearly so in all climates, 

 in which the heat of summer is not sufficient to generate malig- 

 nant epidemic fevers. And it is stated by Dr. Heberden, that 

 from 1795, to 1799, the mortality of London was 13,406 in winter, 

 12,904 in spring, 9,678 in summer, and 10,226 in autumn. 



