London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chelsea 1960
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1960
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- 66 -
ZYMOTIC DISEASES
An examination of statistics provided by the Registrar-General
for the year I960 showed that four deaths were attributable to
"Gastritis, enteritis and diarrhoea," representing a death rate of
0,08 per 1,000 of the population.
Formerly the term "zymotic" was applied to "epidemic or
contagious" ailments but later became limited to such diseases as
cholera, diarrhoea, diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever, smallpox,
typhoid fever and typhus fever.
Mortality from these infections has declined to a remarkable extent since the beginning of the century, a s will be seen from the following summary?-
| Year | Number of dea ths |
|---|---|
| 1900 | 219 |
| 1905 | 98 |
| 1910 | 66 |
| 1915 | 76 |
| 1920 | 41 |
| 1925 | 29 |
| 1930 | 22 |
| 1935 | 17 |
| 1940 | 1 |
| 1945 | 6 |
| 1950 | 3 |
| 1955 | 6 |
| 1956 | - |
| 1957 | 5 |
| 1958 | 4 |
| 1959 | 2 |
| I960 | 4 |