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The most pleasing feature of the zymotic death rate is the
absence from the list of diphtheria as a cause of death. The last
death from diphtheria in Southgate occurred in 1943, and it is
quite probable that diphtheria has now disappeared as a major
killing factor, especially in the younger age groups. The increase
in deaths from gastro-enteritis is more disturbing, and although
only three such deaths were reported during 1946, it points to the
appearance of a new problem, the solution to which will almost
certainly tax the ingenuity of the nation as a whole. The fact that
these deaths almost invariably occur in young infants adds point to
the issue.
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