Norwich bulletin., 1919-07-11
INFLUENZA FIRST FROM NEW LONDON

l Dr. John T. Black state comnis- ! sioner. of health, has just issued his
 official report on the Spanish infuen- "a epidemic in Connecticut. last year l which he finds was first reported ir New London and spread from there. 1 His report follows:
 The beginning of the influenza epi- dernic in Connecticut occurred in New state, about September 1, 1918, when
 several cases were reported by the na-
 val hospital located there. These cases originated at the Experimental Station and Fort TrumbuH where ves- l sels from foreign ports had discharged patients. Within a day or two sew eral eases were brought to the hospital from the submarine base located two first ten days of September about one hundred cases were sent to the New London naval hospital.
 On Sept. g. three cases were report
 ed among the civilian population ad-
 Joining Fort Trumbull. all of which
 were among employes in the fort.
 From September 12 onward many
 cases were reported, especially from
 pier, where three hundred men from
 the Boston Navy Yard had arrivr 7
 September 10. Nearly seven thoucat>
 of the naval men in the New London
 district were billeted in civilian homes
 and the disease became generally pre-
 valent among the civilians before the
 end of the month. The total number
 of civilian cases reported in New Lon don for September was 901; for Octo-
 Der, 936. No reports or sta sites were furnished by the naval department af- ter the first few cases.
 Although the disease appears to have been primarily introduced into Connecticut by ships arriving at New London from abroad and by men com ing there from the Boston Navy Yard numerous foci developed in various . al hnyrf %I,1 sl . -H September, the source of which was traced to other military establish ments, principally Camp Devens, Mass: The towns of Wallingford Danbury were among the earliest af- fected, and in each of them a definite history was obtained showing the de- velopment of the disease within two or three days following visits of soldiers from Camp Devens.
 The wave of the infection in Con- nectlcut was from east to west reaching it's peak in the eastern sec tion about October 4. in the central area October 15. and in the district about October 24. These dat.., are based on the morbidity and mor- tality reports from tho -.crious coun- ties The towns early lnIected by wis itors from military establishments passed the climax sooner than sur rounding towns
 Influenza was made reportable disease in New London county on Sept. 12. and for the entire state on Sept. IS. 1918. and active mea sures were adopted immediately by the state department of health to warn the pub lie, through the Hre-s and by posters of the serious nature of the spreading epidemic.
 The policy of keeping schools and theatres open under certain restric- tions was advoca ted. Not all cities continued to observe the policy. but in those which did. namely. Bridgeport Hartford and New Haven. the course of the epidemic was less explosive and more extended. thus permitting more individual medical attention and rc- sulting in a lower mortality rate. The following table ~hows the death rates of Bridgeport. New Haven and Hart ford in comparison with those of the cities most severely affected. It cov- ars the period from Sept. 1 to Dec. 2s, and shows the number of deaths per thousand population: Bridgeport 5.7 l1-4. Willimantic 10.7. Naugatuck 9.2, Waterbury s.S. Meriden S.4. New Brit ain 7.9.
 During the epidemic 101 nurses and IS physicians, secured from outside sources. were sent to the needie3t sency hospitals were either establish l ad, supervised or assisted by the state l department of health.
 About four thousand doses of in 1uenza vaccine were administered, | mostly in institutions and factories, l put a lack of reports made it impossi- l ole to form any definite conclusions l reatment.
 Charts and table which accompany | he report cover the period from Sept. 1 to Dec. 2s. 1918. for the entire state,