Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-04
'PARALY S|S IS FATAL WERE NOT SWORN IN
InfantiIe MaIady Causes AMeyeu ueserlers From
Death in HyattsvIe. the Ozark Explain.
TWO new CASES REPORTED ANXIOUS TO MAKE CRUISE
Health Officer Insists Upon Reports Others Admit Having Falsely Stated
From Physicians Their Ages
REPLIES TO DIRECTORS LEGAL ASPECT OF THE CASES
Isolation Patients Recommend to Receipt Of
ed-Care in Treatment
Infanti|e MaIady Causes
Death in HyattsviIIe.
TWO new CASES REPORTED
Health Officer Insists Upon Reports
From Physicians.
REPLIES TO THE DIRECTORS
Disease Regarded as Communicable.
ed-Care in Treatment.

One death from infantile paralysis
and two new cases were reported at
the health Office today. The death was
that of George Joseph Hall. two years
old. of Hyattsbille. The child'S parents
requested burial in the District of Co
lumbia
While the deaths from this disease
have been in small proportion to the
cases reported. there is distress occa-
stoned by the malady, which comes in
great measure from the probability
that the little sufferer will be left with
some permanent mark of the illness.
DR.. Woodward, health officer, is still
firm in his belief that every case should
be reported to the health office by
physicians. despite the letter from DR..
James Dudley Morgan, printed in The
Star yesterday.
DR.. Woodward's Views.
Concerning Dr. Morgans statement,
DR.. Woodward said today:
THE situation with respect to the prev
alence of infantile paralysis in the Dis
trict of Columbia, to which DIR. James
Dudley Morgan called attention in The
Evening Star, emphasizes very strongly
the Importance of requiring all cases OF
infantile paralysis to be reported to the
health officer, and of requiring proper
isolation of such cases. The dread and
apprehension to which Dr. Morgan refers
have arisen as the result of the absence
of definite information concerning the eX-
tent to which the disease prevails, and
because of the fact that the law does
not require persons responsible for the
care of such patients to be isolated dur
ing the existence of acute symptoms.
Estimates Vary.
varying estimates have been made by
various people as to the extent to which
infantile paralysis prevails in the District
of Columbia. The health officer has never
made nor attempted to make any such
estimate because he has no information
that would enable him to do so. Neither,
so far as the health officer is Informed,
is any one else in possession or lnforma-
ton sufficient to enable him to make an
intelligent estimate. 1t is this very I'M
certainty and the fact that one person S
guess is as good as another S, and re-
ceives as much credence. that causes
dread and apprehension.
Cause of Uneasiness.
so that the fact that every person is
at liberty to take or not to take precau-
tons to prevent the spread of the disease.
notwithstanding the fact that it is re-
garded as communicable by those best
informed with respect to it, naturally
causes uneasiness on the part of parents
of young children. If they thought that
persons caring for such patients were re-
uuired to take precautions against the
spread of the disease they would feel re-
assured.
1.-The situation portrayed by DR.. Morgan
affords possibly the strongest argument
that can be made for the enactment of a
law requiring the reporting of all cases
of infantile paralysis and the proper iso-
lation of such cases."