Sanitary conditions, medical care and infectious diseases in the Komi region in the second half of the XIX-early XX centuries

The paper examines the sanitary conditions and medical care of the population in the Komi region in the second half of the XIX-early XX centuries and summarizes the factual material on incidence of infectious diseases among the inhabitants of the region. The paper presents factors that influenced morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases, analyzes measures to improve the sanitary and epidemic situation in the region. The general situation with infectious diseases and morbidity strongly influenced the life time and mortality rate of population in the study period. The introduction of sanitary and hygienic concepts and rules, development of the system of medical institutions, vaccination and control of epidemics apparently started to have a decreasing effect on the mortality from infectious diseases. The total mortality rate of the population remained high but the mortality of the urban population by the beginning of the XX century began to decrease gradually. Such relatively simple measures as the abandonment of surface water consumption, construction of public wells and improvement of principal sanitary and hygienic conditions, significantly contributed to the decreased mortality cases from infectious diseases.