The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-06-27
INFANTlLE PARALYSIS
Review of Epldemies in Vermont by
President of State Board of Health.

President Of State Board of Health.
The current issue of the Vermont
State Board of Health Bulletin con-
tains a very comprehensive paper ON
the poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis
epidemic in Vermont by DR.. Charles
S. Caverly of Rutland. The article
contains maps, statistics and other IN
formation about the various epidem-
les and their locations in the state.
covering AZ pages. In part the article
reads as follows:
Vermont has had an unusual eXpe-
rience with this disease. In the sum-
mer of 1894, the first considerable out
break that had been reported occur
red in this state. This outbreak, COM
prising 1872 cases, was confined almost
exclusively to the valley OF the otter
on the west side of the Green Noun
tain.
From 1894 to 1910, nothing ap-
preaching an epidemic of this disease
appeared in the state. In the latter
year, following a reather severe out
break in the Connecticut valley In
Massachusetts, the same valley In
Vermont was invaded OF 60 cases oc
curing that year. 81 occurred on the
east side of the Green Mountains.
This disease was made reportable
one at that time under the regulations
of the state board of health. The
full quarantine" was enforced IN
these cases. This quarantine is the
same as is practiced in the state with
other major infections, like scarlet
fever and diphtheria.
The disease, without doubt has
been as fully reported since 1910 as
was possible with the imperfect know
ledge we have of its diagnostic points.
The profession OF the state has been
generally aware of the possibility OF
local outbreaks, especially in rural
communities, and has co-operated very
generally with the state board oil
health in identifying these cases and
applying preventive measures.
In 1911, there were q cases re-
ported in the state, % of these were
on the west side of the Green Noun
tains and 10 of them in the same val
ley in which the original epidemic Of
1894 occurred.
In 1912, there were only 19 cases
reported in the state and these were
quite widely scattered with no cpl
demic focus. Eight of these were in
the Connecticut valley and five on the
west side of the Green Mountains.
In 1913, AZ cases were reported in
the state. Forty of these occurred in
the northwestern section Of the state
and 81 in Hardwick and its imme-
diate vicinity. 1t should be noted that
| the last cases in this 1913 outbreak
| occurred in the town of Barton, only
about 20 miles from Hardwick. Since
| 1910 the PassumpsicBarton valley in
| Caledonia and Orleans counties has
| furnished the chief foci of this disease
| in Vermont.
The epidemic of 1914, in the number
of cases. as well as in mortality. was
the severest that has ever occurred in
the state. The epidemic began in the
| village of Barton, the first cases oc.
curing respectively on July 9, Is and
%. The first cases occurred in the i'm
mediate neighborhood in Barton vii
lage. where the last cases in the out
break of 1918 occurred, in the month
OF November. No other cases occurred
in the state, as far as our records go
until the Both of July, when the first
case occurred in Burlington. The ear
liest cases in Addison and Franklin
counties were respectively August II
and August IA.
The outbreak of 1914 was chiefly
felt in the northern half of the state
above the forty-fourth parallel of lati
tude. Nearly 30 per cent of the 300
cases of which we have reports, oc
Cured north of this line, which passes
through Middlebury and Bradford
Scattering cases only occurred in Rut
land. Bennington, Windsor and Wind
ham counties.
| The medical practitioners of Yer
mont, generally alert to the serious
ness OF this disease, had had most un
usual opportunities for studying It's
various phases. The cases of the di
sease are undoubtedly diagnosed ant
reported by the profession with in
creasing thoroughness.
A review of our experiences will
this disease in Vermont warrants tn,
following observations:
The disease seems to be rural di
sease. Something in rural life appar
emily favors its propagation ant
spread.
The disease, while apparently fol
lowing the arteries of human inter
course, makes long jumps between
towns and attacks persons in isolated
and inaccessible regions.
August. September and October ar,
the favorite months for the disease il
Vermont.