2 Deaths were not reported.

PLAGUE.

HUMAN PLAGUE.

A case of plague in man occurred at Martinez, Cal., July 13, 1915. August 27, 1915, a case in man developed in New Orleans. At Honokaa, Hawaii, a death from plague occurred December 2, 1915. Paauhau, Hawaii, one case was reported June 29 and one December 16.

RODENT PLAGUE.

Since more has been learned regarding plague, it has not been the menace to man that it formerly was. During the period from July 1, 1915, to June 30, 1916, 70 plague-infected rats have been found in New Orleans and 3 infected rats in Seattle. Plague-infected ground squirrels to the number of 138 were found in California.

POLIOMYELITIS IN NEW YORK CITY.

There has been an epidemic of poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) in New York City. It began in the Borough of Brooklyn on May 9, 1916, 20 cases appearing between that time and the end of the month. Only 2 of these cases were reported to the health department during the month of May, the first group of cases of sufficient size to attract attention being reported on June 8. The investigation, started as a result of these reports, disclosed the presence of a considerable number of cases in Brooklyn, and on June 17 it was recognized and announced in the public press that the disease was unduly prevalent. The number of cases reported from Brooklyn increased rapidly during the month of June and on July 11 reached a maximum of 151 reported cases. The number of cases reported from Brooklyn began to decrease rapidly following the high peak of July 11, and on July 21 reached a low point of 36 reported cases. The number of cases again began to increase, however, and for some time ranged around a total of approximately 70 cases per day.

The number of cases in Manhattan Borough, which had remained low during June, began to increase in the early days of July and continued to increase, a maximum of 76 cases being reported on August 3. The cases reported from Manhattan averaged approximately 50 per day during the week ending August 5.

Richmond Borough, though the smallest of the boroughs of the city and in some respects farthest removed from direct connection with the rest of the city, showed a high incidence of the disease.

The number of cases in the Borough of Queens did not begin to increase markedly until about July 1, but after that time cases began to be reported in considerable numbers. The Borough of The Bronx showed only a small number of cases until the last week of July, when the number of cases began to increase, 19 cases being reported on August 6.

While the outbreak started apparently in an Italian quarter of the city, and Italians largely predominated in the early reported cases, in the subsequent course of the epidemic the racial distribution of the cases has varied with the population of the quarter most heavily

infected, and so far no race has shown marked susceptibility or immunity to the infection.

The outbreak began to subside about the middle of August. The accompanying tables show the number of cases reported up to August 26, 1916, by weeks and boroughs, and up to August 20 by age and boroughs.

Poliomyelitis in New York City, by weeks and boroughs.

Poliomyelitis in New York City, by age and boroughs, to Aug. 20.

1 This compilation includes only cases reported up to Aug. 20, and figures for the last week of this period are incomplete.

OCCURRENCE OF MULTIPLE CASES IN FAMILIES.

Of the first 7,000 cases a certain proportion included were of the so-called "abortive" type; that is, showing no definite paralysis, but with other symptoms or findings sufficient to justify a positive diagnosis of poliomyelitis.

These 7,000 cases occurred in 6,748 families, as follows:

PREVALENCE OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK CITY.

Poliomyelitis, with a few minor exceptions, did not spread in epidemic form far from New York City. The outside communities chiefly involved were the New Jersey cities in the vicinity of New York, particularly Newark, where over 1,000 cases were reported. Philadelphia was also invaded and had several hundred known cases. To September 5, Chicago had 146 cases, but this is Lot a large number when the population of the city is considered. Toledo, Ohio, to September 2, had 85 cases. This constituted a considerable number for a city of the size of Toledo and probably indicated the presence of the disease in epidemic form.

The prevalence of the disease, as indicated by reported cases, is shown in the accompanying tables by cities and States. These tables are made up from reports made to the Public Health Service by the health departments of the respective cities and States.

REPORTED PREVALENCE IN CITIES.

The following table gives the reported prevalence of poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) up to the first part of September, 1916, in cities in which five or more cases had been reported in any one week:

2 Deaths were not reported.