1917 — Polio, Census area (27 States/DC/43 cities), esp. Chicago/177 OH/128 VT/15 VA/69->1,182
— 1,182 27 registration States, DC & some non-registration-State cities. US Census 1917, 52.[1]
1.6: Death rate from Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis (Infantile Paralysis) per 100,000 population.
State deaths Death rate (from page 52)
— 23 CA 0.8 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 260.
— 3 CO 0.3 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 260.
— 17 CT 1.3 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 260.
— 3 DC U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, p. 263.
–177 IL, Chicago. City of Chicago. Report, Dept. of Health for 1911 to 1918. 1919 p. 152.[2]
— 31 IN 1.1 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 263.
— 18 KS 1.0 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 263.
— 40 KY 1.7 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 263.
— 5 ME 0.6 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 266.
— 17 MD 1.2 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 266.
— 43 MA 1.3 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 266.
— 40 MI 1.3 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 266.
— 19 MN 0.8 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 269.
— 49 MO 1.4 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 269.
— 8 MT 1.7 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 269.
— 9 NH 2.0 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 269.
— 41 NJ 1.4 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 269.
–116 NY 1.1 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 269.
— 53 NYC.[3] Draper. Infantile Paralysis. NY/London: Appleton-Century, 1935, p. 20.[4]
— 36 NC 1.4 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 272.
–128 OH 2.5 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 272.
–142 PA 1.6 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 272.
— 7 RI 1.1 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52. 272.
— 17 SC 1.0 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 275.
— 28 TN 1.2 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 275.
— 1 UT 0.2 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 278.
— 18 VT Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis (Poliomyelitis) in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, 164.
— 15 “ 4.1 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 278.
— 68 VA 3.1 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 278.
— 7 WA 0.4 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 278.
— 26 WI 1.0 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mortality Statistics 1917. 1919, pp. 52, 278.
Vermont localities:
— ? Bakersfield. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.[5]
— ? Barnard. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Barre. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis (Poliomyelitis) in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 161.
— ? Berkshire. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Berlin. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Bolton. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Calais. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Duxbury. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Fairfield. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Fayston. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Grafton. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Montpelier. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 161.
— ? Middlesex. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 171.
— ? Moretown. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 171.
— ? Orange. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Plainfield. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Pomfret. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Randolph. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Reading. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Ridgewater. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Springfield. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? St. Albans. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Stowe. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Swanton. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Waitsfield. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Waterbury. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 161.
— ? Williamstown. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
— ? Woodstock. Caverly. “Infantile Paralysis…in Vermont 1916-1917.” 1924, p. 174.
Narrative Information — General
Census on “Extent of the Registration Area in 1917. “The registration area in 1917 includes 27 states, the District of Columbia, and 43 cities in nonregistration states. These states and cities were added to the area on the basis of approximately complete registration of deaths (at least 90 per cent of all deaths) and when the data at hand showed that the deaths were recorded properly under state law, or, for cities, under municipal ordinances.
“The states included in the registration area for 1917 are:
California Michigan Pennsylvania
Colorado Minnesota Rhode Island
Connecticut Missouri South Carolina
Indiana Montana Tennessee
Kansas New Hampshire Utah
Kentucky New Jersey Vermont
Maine New York Virginia
Maryland North Carolina Washington
Massachusetts Ohio Wisconsin
“The entire registration area comprises not only the states named but also the District of Columbia, Territory of Hawaii, and the following cities in non-registration states. [p. 11]
Alabama: Illinois – Continued: Nebraska:
Birmingham Decatur Lincoln
Mobile Evanston Omaha
Montgomery Jacksonville North Dakota:
Delaware: Quincy Fargo
Wilmington Springfield Oregon:
Florida: Louisiana: Portland
Jacksonville Alexandria Texas:
Key West Baton Rouge Beaumont
Pensacola Lake Charles Cleburne
Tampa Monroe Dallas
Georgia: New Orleans El Paso
Atlanta Shreveport Galveston
Augusta Mississippi: Houston
Brunswick Hattiesburg San Antonio
Savannah Jackson West Virginia:
Illinois: Meridian Wheeling
Aurora Natchez
Belleville Vicksburg
Chicago
Census on Polio Deaths: “The number of deaths from acute anterior poliomyelitis in 1917 is 1,182, corresponding to a rate of 1.6 per 100,000 population. This is a very decided decrease from the rate for 1916 (10), which is the highest shown in the series of years 1910 to 1917.” (US Bureau of Census, p. 52.)
Vermont
Caverly: “There were 171 cases of infantile paralysis in Vermont this year. There were three scattering cases of the disease in January, an unusual outbreak of six cases in March in Waterbury, and a severe epidemic in Washington County beginning early in June. Beginning with the outbreak in Waterbury in March, Washington County continued to be the center of the 1917 epidemic….” (p. 161)
Age Periods 1917
4 and under 5-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 Over 40
94 47 23 5 1 1 (p. 162)
“The proportion of young subjects this year was larger than ever occurred in the state before. 54.9 per cent of the cases were four years and under. In 1916, this percentage was 34.3. In the great epidemic of 1914 in Vermont, the proportion of those four and under was only 39 per cent; whereas, in the severe epidemic in New York City in 1916, the percentage of cases under five years was over 80; while in the State of New York, as a whole, the same year, only 49 per cent were under five years of age….” (p. 162)
“The results in these cases, as far as they can be determined from five to eight months after the first symptoms, were as follows:
Cases with residual paralysis or definite weakness… 103
Died…………………………………………………. 18
Fully recovered………………………………………. 50 [Totals 171 (p. 164)]
Seasonal Distribution 1917 (p. 169)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2 — 6 — — 44 38 43 29 8 1 —
….
“A reference to the map [p. 174] will show that the cases chiefly clustered about the center of the state with Montpelier as a focus. Montpelier, Barre (city and town), Waterbury and Waitsfield were the towns chiefly invaded. St. Albans and Woodstock each had several cases, the latter being the center of a small outbreak. Of all the cases in the state, however, 80 per cent occurred in Washington County; and, of the towns of Washington County, the city of Montpelier suffered by far the most severely.” (p. 170)
Preventive Measures
“On account of the unusual number of cases being reported from Barre Town and Montpelier (unusual for so early in the summer), the Board met in Montpelier, June 24, and after a conference with the local Board of Health and Mayor and the health officers of some of the neighboring towns advised that all public gatherings in the city be discontinued for the present, and that restrictions be put upon children patronizing ice cream or soda counters. These restrictions were recommended for Montpelier, Barre (Town and City) and Waitsfield.
“Cases continuing to appear in these towns, as well as others, especially in Washington County, a meeting of the Board was held in Burlington, July 17, at which Governor Graham was present. At this meeting the following order was made:
Vermont State Board of Health, Burlington, July 17, 1917.
To date we have had in the state 68 cases of infantile paralysis this year. This is a greater number of cases than we have had any year during the last five years with one exception. Sixty-one of these cases and six deaths have occurred since June 16. These cases with three exceptions have been confined to Washington County. There are good reasons for hoping that this outbreak may be checked at this time. In past years we have had reason to think that large general gatherings of people from many towns have distributed this infection. August and September in past years have been our worst months as far as this disease is concerned.
In view of these facts the attention of local boards of health is hereby called to Act No. 194 of the Laws of 1917 and such boards are directed to make and enforce regulations in the several towns whenever local conditions require such action. When one or more cases develop in any town the local board of health should take action either prohibiting all public gatherings or excluding all children under 16 years of age from such gatherings, also from lunch, soda water and ice cream counters and other public eating and drinking places.
It is hereby ordered that no fairs, Chautauquas, street carnivals or circuses be held in the State of Vermont until further notice.
By order of the State Board of Health,
Charles F. Dalton,
Secretary. (Caverly 1924, p. 176)
Chicago Dept. of Health: “In 1917 the first increase in the infantile paralysis case rate occurred during the week ending July 28. Up to the week ending December 1, five hundred twenty-seven cases developed and 177 deaths from the disease occurred.” (p. 152)
Chart on page 153 shows a slight increase in case reporting in July, still below double digits, until the end of the first week in August, wherein there was a steady and sharp increase reaching a peak in the last week of September (just below the number 72). There was then a less sharp decline through October. During early November single digit reporting of cases resumed. By the end of the month and through December a resumption of single digit case reporting returned.
A second chart on page 153 shows that deaths during 1917 were much higher in 1917 than the national epidemic year of 1916.
(Chicago Department of Health. Report and Handbook of the Department of Health of the City of Chicago for the Years 1911 to 1918 inclusive. Chicago: House of Severinghaus, 1919.
Sources:
Caverly, Charles S., M.D. “Infantile Paralysis (Poliomyelitis) in Vermont 1916-1917.” Published in Bulletin of the Vermont State Board of Health,” Vol. 19, No. 1, Sept., 1918, and reprinted, beginning at p. 144 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
Chicago Department of Health. Report and Handbook of the Department of Health of the City of Chicago for the Years 1911 to 1918 inclusive. Chicago: House of Severinghaus, 1919. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=vxgiAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Draper, George, M.D. Infantile Paralysis. NY and London: D. Appleton-Century Co., Inc., 1935.
United States Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce. Mortality Statistics 1917 (18th Annual Report). Washington: GPO, 1919. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=aLbnAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=true
[1] The “registration area” included a population of 75,527,486, or 72.7 percent of the total estimated population.
[2] U.S. Census Mortality Statistics 1917 indicates that Chicago polio death rate was 7.6, highest in registration area.
[3] Notes that there were 139 cases our of a population of 5,400,343 (drawing upon Landon and Smith 1934 report).
[4] Cites, on page 19, a “New York City report on epidemic poliomyelitis in 1931.” The bibliography indicates this is a reference to J. F. Landon and L. W. Smith. Poliomyelitis…A Study of the 1931 Epidemic in New York City. 1934.
[5] Page 174 is a map of Vermont showing the boundaries of counties and many towns. Red dots show cases in or near the towns shown on the map. The map shows one or more red dots in counties with cases, presumably indicating the number of cases, though this is not crystal clear.