Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-30
NEW DISEASE FATAL
One Death and Two New
Cases of InfantiIe Paralysis.
COLORED CHILD IS VICTIM
Record for the District So Far as It
Has Been Reported.
AILMENT SURELY CONTAGIOUS
Health Officer Making Every Effort
in Absence of Law to Stamp
Out Epidemic.
AILMENT SURELY CONTAGIOUS

The death of Howard c. Morris, colored.
three years old. of 1882 10th street north
west. and two new cases reported Is to-
days record of infantile paralysis.
With only the aid of an aroused public
sentiment in his favor. DR.. W. c. Wood
ward. health officer of the District. is
making a determined stand on the ques-
ton of infantile paralysis. Some ply
sicians regard the disease as non-con-
tagious and yet, as Health Officer Wood
ward points out, in the next breath they
are compelled to acknowledge they do
not know the cause of infantile paralysis,
nor do they know the active agent or
germ of the disease. This must be true.
because some of the foremost scientists
of the country have spent the bette:
parts of years in study and research, and
yet they have been unable to discover the
obscure origin Of anterior poliomyelitis;
nor have they been fortunate enough to
uncoyerthe medium by which infection Is
spread.
Probably no better illustration could
be given of the dangers incident to an
outbreak of this disease than has been at
forded to the medical profession in the
outbreak in Wisconsin two years ago."
said DIR. Woodward today. There the
disease found foothold In the small city
of Eau Claire. and it was proved alb
solutely that the outbreak followed close
ly along the lines of greatest travel In
that section of the state. From a tiny
beginning in Eau Claire total of more
than $50 known cases were recorded, and
there may have been many more mild
ca ses which never reached the. attention
of the authorities. It would be absurd
to say that the disease In this outbreak
in Wisconsin was not communicated from
child to child. Seven cases, for example,
occurred in the families of physicians,
who had been engaged in treating other
children in the course of their daily prac.
tice."
Lack of Law on Subject.
There is no law or regulation In the
District which compels physicians to re-
port such cases of infantile paralysis as
are encountered in their practice. but~t1e
health Office is striving to induce the re-
porting Of all cases so that all reasonable
precaution may be taken in the isola-
ton of the sufferers. The health Ofhcer
has neither the authority nor 1.-THE in
cllndttOH " pidCdTQ nOuScS, dS 10 ICQuI GU
by law in cases OF scarlet fever, diph-
liberia and other contagious diseases. nor
is it intended to give Objectionable pub
licity to cases that are reported.
DR.. Woodward Is working now on q
campaign of education, and he believes
if he can convince the great majority Of
citizens that the interests of the whole
community would be served by having
infantle paralysis reported wherever 1t
occurs. that the desired end in that d.
rection will be secured. In discussing
today the probability or the feasibility
Of the drafting of new law or regula-
ton which would place anterior polio
myelitis in the list of diseases Of which
physicians are compelled to make report
Dr. Woodward said he did not feel that
sufficient showing could yet be made
of an emergency which would justify the
Commissioners writing q new regulation.
1t was shown that all of. the maladies
placed in the list Of CONTAGIOUS diseases
of which reports are required were placed
In those lists by special enactment of
Congress, and from this the implication
arises that Congress did not intend to
give the Commissioners the authority to
draft special regulations requiring the
reporting of other diseases.
Statutes Contradictory
There seems to be some little contra
diction in the laws of this particular
point, because uHVSi Tile ScHcTdl CHI
towering act, giving authority to the
Commissioners to write and enofrce police
and other regulations. it is specified that
they may draft health regulations, which,
in their opinion, are necessary for the
pubic good.
1t is partly because the door would be
opened to contest of a special regula-
ton regarding infantile paralysis that
the health officer does not contemplate
seeking such a new law at the present
time But If the outbreak of the disease
assumes alarming proportions. he may
decide. to take this drastic step.
Views Of Physician.
A physician who does not care to have
his name mentioned. writing to The Star
on the causes and treatment Of the NAL
ady, expresses the belief that the cpl
demic is the result of the sudden change
of temperature about a week ago. This,
he SAYS, caused children, attired in light
clothing, to take cold. An interference
with the. circulation of the blood, as the
result of taking cold. is the real cause OF
the disease he declares.
He suggests as a mode OF treatment
/ the application of what Is known as the
vacuum treatment" and dry cupping."
The cups, he says, should he applied over
the spine lightly once or twice a day,
just sufficiently long to bring the blood
to the surface and to cause the skin to
turn a pink color.
HAaIthv Eu0Iamd