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Mapping Fatal Infectious Diseases in Washington in 1892

An 1892 map locates deaths attributed to “zymotic diseases,” a period term for acute infectious illnesses.

Posted 1 min read
A map of Washington uses colored marks to locate reported deaths from disease.

We’re posting two maps today to see if we can break the website! Also, this post’s title is slightly misleading because it was labeled “Map of the City of Washington Showing Location of Fatal Cases of Zymotic Diseases for the Year Ending June 30, 1892.”

What the hell is a zymotic disease? Glad you asked, because we didn’t know either.

So, a zymotic disease was a 19th century medical term for an acute infectious disease like typhoid, measles, smallpox, and cholera. It was not uncommon to die from these diseases as shown in this 1890s map of diarrhea deaths. Times were certainly different then from a healthcare standpoint.

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Filed underGoDCers Love Maps

Topics1880s · 1890s

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