13G 
THE WEATHER AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH. 
1367. 
January .. 
.... 32f°. 
.... 32-4. 
February 
... 43° . 
.... 28-4 
March. 
.... 36i°. 
.... 28-1 
April .. 
.... 48^°. 
.... 24-5. 
May . 
.... 53f°. 
.... 23-9. 
June . 
.... 58f°. 
.... 22-5. 
High death-rate from intense cold. 
Severe frost in January, hence great mortality first 
half of February. 
High death-rate in March in consequence of the severe 
weather. 
The high rate of mortality in January was owing to the intense frost. Even the 
cholera, which carried off so many thousands of human lives in Liverpool and London 
in July, August, and September last, was not so destructive as to bring up the general 
death-rate of the ten large towns to the January standard. 
The polar currents in the spring months are always very trying. After the tropical 
heat early in May, the severe weather in the third and fourth week, when the searching 
north-east winds blew with great force, did not, however, materially disturb the public 
health. At least 15 per cent, of the mortality in February was in consequence of the 
cold in January. The moderate temperature in April had the effect of reducing the 
death-rate in that month, which was considerable in March from the inclemency of the 
weather; and, notwithstanding the vicissitudes of temperature in May, the ranges were 
compatible with our endurance so far that the mortality was lower than at any other 
period of the year, June excepted. Never was the death-rate so low since registration 
began as in June, 1867. We had extreme heat at different periods of the month ; at 
other times cold winds and low temperature ruled in our sea-girt island; sometimes a 
range of 40° in two or three days. Whatever may be the atmospheric changes, the 
mortality is not affected so long as the temperature keeps within the limits above 
defined. 
The public health for the quarter just ended has been very satisfactory. In the cor¬ 
responding quarter of 1866, Liverpool returned an annual death-rate of thirty-four per 
thousand in one week, thirty-five per thousand each week in eight weeks, and forty per 
thousand each week in four weeks. There was no cholera in Liverpool until July last 
year, excepting isolated cases. In the quarter now terminated the annual rate of mor¬ 
tality in Liverpool did not reach thirty per thousand in any week. 
There is a decided improvement in the health of all the ten large towns, with the 
exception of the borough of Newcastle-on-Tyne, to which place I shall refer before 
closing this inquiry. The average death-rate in Edinburgh is about 25 per cent, more 
than in Hull, London, Bristol, and Birmingham. The miserable abodes of the people 
in the old town are much to be deplored. The system of dividing the houses into flats, 
each tier being occupied by a separate family, precludes a proper mode of drainage and 
ventilation, so essential, for the promotion of health, and should be condemned and 
abolished. 
Vital Statistics. — Death-rate per Thousand of Population. 
Per Annum. 
Per Annum. 
Quarter ending 
Quarter ending 
June 29, 1867. 
June 30, 1866. 
London . . . . 
. . . 20-4 
22-5 
Liverpool .... 
. . . 26-0 
37-9 
Manchester . . . 
. . . 27-6 
30-2 
Birmingham . . . 
. . . 19-8 
24-5 
Leeds . 
. . . 25-3 
33-6 
Sheffield .... 
. . . 22-2 
30-7 
Bristol. 
. . . 21-0 
25-3 
Newcastle-on-Tyne 
. . . 27-3 
28*6 
Salford. 
. . . 250 
30-4 
Hull. 
. . . 22*3 
24-7 
Death-rate of the Ten large Towns irrespective of Classification. 
rer Annum. Per Annum. 
1866—Quarter ending June 30. 1867—Quarter ending June 29. 
29-1. 23-7. 
Decrease in 1867, 5-4. 
