1915 — Polio, esp. late summer-fall, US registration area (67.1% pop.) esp. children  –691

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 2-4-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–691  US Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 386.[1]

–204  Smallman-Raynor, et al. Poliomyelitis: Emergency to Eradication. 2006, 150.[2]

California                    33        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 386.

Colorado                       6        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 386.

Connecticut                 12        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 386.

District of Columbia     4        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 387.

Indiana                                    19        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 387.

Kansas                         20        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 387.

Kentucky                    23        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 387.

Maine                            6        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 387.

Maryland                     21        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 387.

Massachusetts             41        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 394.

Michigan                     35        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 394.

Minnesota                   30        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 394.

Missouri                      40        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 394.

Montana                        1        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 394.

New Hampshire            9        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 395.

New Jersey                  24        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 395.

New York                   70        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 395.

–50  NYC Health Dept. A Monograph on The Epidemic of Poliomyelitis. 1917, p. 179.[3]

North Carolina              7        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 395.

Ohio                            95        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 395.

Pennsylvania               85        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 395.

Penn.               86        NYC Health Dept. A Monograph…Poliomyelitis. 1917, p. 355.[4]

Rhode Island                 7        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 395.

Utah                              3        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 395.

        Utah                      2  Dec 2 & 9. Salt Lake Tribune. “Grief Prostrates Mother,” 12-11-1915, p. 9.[5]

Vermont                      18        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 402.

Virginia                       37        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 402.

Washington                   7        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 402.

Wisconsin                    13        Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1915. Table 6, p. 402.

Vermont

Caverly:  “In 1915, 44 known cases of infantile paralysis occurred in the state.” (p. 133)

1915 Poliomyelitis – Vermont. Seasonal Distribution.  (p. 134)

Jan       Feb      Mar      Apr      May     June     July      Aug     Sep      Oct      Nov     Dec

         —        —         —        —          1        —         2           9        13        10         7          1

Age Periods.

Under 4           5-9       10-19   20-29   30-39   Not stated

                                       13               12          13         2          3             1         (p. 135)

Distribution by County

                        Addison          1

                        Bennington     1

                        Caledonia      15

                        Chittenden      4

                        Essex               1

Franklin           1

Grand Isle       1

Orange            1

Orleans            8

Rutland           3

Washington     1

Windham        1

Windsor          5

Not stated       1

   Total           44  (p. 135)

Paralyzed…………. ..24

Died………………… 11

Recovered (abortive)… 9

   Total……………… 44  (p. 138)

“Two facts are noticeable in the above table. The high mortality (25 per cent) is the first. The mortality in this disease of late years has run somewhere between 10 and 17 per cent. The mortality of 17.3 in this state in 1914 in the large series of cases was very high. These figures for 1915 are rather disquieting. It was believed by observers that the disease was really of a more malignant type, especially in certain towns. A second fact brought out by the above table is the large proportion of recovered (abortive) cases. This is easily explained. The attention of physicians had been so generally directed to the possibilities of a recurrence of this disease in the state this year, that suspicious cases were very carefully investigated. It goes without saying that some of these cases which would formerly have passed for “colds,” “grip,” “indigestion” or “teething” were occasionally found to be really poliomyelitis. While our methods of making diagnoses in these cases are still very imperfect and unreliable, only such cases have been included in this list as there were good reasons for thinking belonged there. Some such reasons were: the occurrence of cases in conjunction with the frankly paralyzed children, the typical initial symptoms followed by prolonged invalidism, and finally the occasional detection of weak muscles by means of the methods devised by Drs. Lovett and Martin.”  (p. 138) ….

Conclusions

“A review of our experiences with this disease in Vermont warrants the following observations:

“The disease seems to be a rural disease. Something in rural life apparently favors its propagation and spread.

“The disease, while apparently following the arteries of human intercourse, makes long jumps between towns and attacks persons in isolated and inaccessible regions.

“August, September and October are the favorite months for the disease in Vermont.

“A community visited by an epidemic of this disease has, apparently, comparative immunity thereafter for several years. The experience of Barton might suggest a four-year period.

“As has been stated, poliomyelitis, under our regulations, is reportable and subject to “Full Quarantine” and terminal disinfection. In the present state of our knowledge of its epidemiology, there may be a theoretical question as to the utility of the quarantine. Practically quarantine measures, well carried out, appear to check community outbreaks. So in the absence of more positive proof of its inutility, we would not be warranted in abandoning it.

“In the presence of an epidemic, public gatherings, like picture shows, public, parochial and Sunday schools, fairs and circus performances, largely frequented by children, should be prohibited.” (p. 142)

Sources

Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce. Mortality Statistics 1915. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1917. Accessed 2-3-2024 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsushistorical/mortstatsh_1915.pdf

Caverly, Charles S., M.D. “Epidemic Poliomyelitis: A Review of the Epidemics of 1914 and 1915.” Published in Bulletin of the Vermont State Board of Health,” Vol. 16, No. 4, 6-1-1916 and reprinted, beginning at p. 97 in: Vermont Department of Public Health. Infantile Paralysis in Vermont 1894-1922 – A Memorial to Charles S. Caverly, M.D. Burlington: State Department of Public Health, 1924. Digitized by Internet Archive, 2013. Accessed 11-11-2013: https://archive.org/details/infantileparalys00cave

New York City Department of Health. A Monograph on The Epidemic of Poliomyelitis (Infantile Paralysis) in New York City in 1916. NY:  Dept. of Health, 1917. Google Digitized at:  http://books.google.com/books?id=yDnQAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22a+monograph+on+the+epidemic%22&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Ruhräh, John, M.D. and Erwin E. Mayer, M.D. Poliomyelitis in all its Aspects. Philadelphia and NY: Lea & Febiger, 1917. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=ejxZDia7-_kC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “Grief Prostrates Mother,” 12-11-1915, p. 9. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=100982220&sterm=infantile+paralysis

Smallman-Raynor, R. R., A. D. Cliff, B. Trevelyan, C. Nettleton, S. Sneddon. Poliomyelitis: Emergency to Eradication – A World Geography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

[1] “…the annual report on Mortality Statistics for 1915…is based on transcripts received from the registration area for deaths, which in 1915 had an estimated population of 67,336,992, or 67.1 per cent of the total estimated population of the United States.” (Letter of Transmittal dated 12-16-1916.)

[2] Cites: R. B. Low. “A short account of the epidemiology of acute anterior poliomyelitis in recent years.” Forty-Fifth Annual Report of the Local Government Board, 1915-16. Supplement Containing the Report of the Medical Officer for 1915-16. London: HMSO, 1917, pp. 63-72; and notes that this is out of 1,748 cases.

[3] Out of 257 cases.

[4] Cites correspondence with Pennsylvania State Board of Health, and notes this was out of 162 reported cases.

[5] Ogden Dec 10 article states that a 4-year old girl “died after a brief illness of infantile paralysis. The 2-year-old sister…died of the same disease one week ago and the father of the children died one year ago last April.”