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25 occurred in infants under one year of age, and 70 occurred
under 5 years of age. That the disease is spread from patient to
patient, particularly in crowded tenements, is remarkably illustrated
by the fact that more than 50 per cent. of the deaths
occurred in South Clerkenwell, where " model dwellings " abound,
although the population in that division constitutes only a
quarter of the whole population of the Borough.
The means of preventing Whooping Cough (from which 1,876
children died in London in 1902, yielding a death rate of 0.40
per 1,000) are largely in the hands of the public. Sufficiently
long isolation of infected children, and watchful care over the
infants' departments of the schools, are perhaps the main points
requiring attention.
EPIDEMIC DIARRHŒA (Epidemic Enteritis).
Under this term is included all forms of Zymotic Diarrhœa and
Epidemic Enteritis. The Royal College of Physicians has recently
(1900) laid down that "Gastro-Enteritis," "Muco-Enteritis,"
"Gastric Catarrh," and such synonyms of Epidemic Diarrhœa in
medical certificates of death should be discarded. The College
recognises that Epidemic Diarrhœa is a general disease of a specific
character in the same sense as enteric or other fevers, and it therefore
authorises the use of the term "Epidemic Enteritis" (or if
preferred "Zymotic Enteritis" or "Epidemic Diarrhœa "to designate
the disease in its various forms and degrees. There can
be no doubt that the adoption of this common standard will prove
of great value in the future, and it is satisfactory to note that
medical practitioners generally (in response to our request of
January 10th, 1901) are following the suggestion of the College
of Physicians.
During 1902 there were 83 deaths attributed to this disease, 54
of these cases being infants under one year of age. This gives a
death rate for Epidemic Diarrhaæ of 0.81 per 1,000, compared
with 1.2 per 1,000 in 1901. Frequently in this district of London
the death rate has been over 2.0 per 1,000. So that the present