The sun., 1916-08-31
Federal Health Officer Says
Country Villages Have
Gone to an Extreme.
FANORS STATE CONTROL
1%nfantilc Paralysis. Waning
Here. Gains lIcadway in
Philadelphia.

inconsistent quarantine policy inaugu-
rated by local health authorities in
towns near the city. especially in West
chester and Nassau counties.
Dr. Banks said there were In many in.
stances which had rome to his notice a
tendency to create a sort Of hysteria
among the inhabitants Of small villages,
which always led to an exaggerated idea
OF the danger Of thc disease.
In such cases." said Dr. Banks,
"infantile paralysis comes To he n state
Of mind. The main difficulty Is that
town authorities refuse to permit chill
dren to enter under any circumstan noes
whatever, and yet they turn right around
and allow their W residents to travel
back and forth between the infected
communities without restraint. Now
that policy is not at all consistent, be-
cause It Ia generally conceded that a
grown person can transmit the dis
ease almost AS readily as u child.
state Regulation Advocated.
Il do not wish to be put In the light
ef opposing proper quarantine measures.
I am "a stanch adhcrcnt of the policy.
But there should he some State power
which could regulate the action which
Is taken by local authorities in small
villages.
Take the case Of Oyster Ray for OK
ample. Residents there may have had
proper cause for disagreement with the
town authorities over quarantine meth
DDS. They probably did have II Oyster
Bays case Is at all simlla- with many
others. The residents perhaps were right
in their principle Of protesting against
the action OF tho town authorities. Hut
nave they not carried this protest to
quite the other extreme?
There should he a happy medium of
action which on the ore hand will dc
away with a hyster.cal state OF mind
regarding the disease and on the other
will promote n uniform and sensible
method Of guarding against its spread
while at the same time not Interfering
with the business OF the community.
1T should be II simple matter to pro
mote a sane and sensible method OF quar-
antine In small towns. for 1t IL there tina
the problem In infinitely simpler. Chill
dren entering the district from infected
communities can just as we'll be spo,te,
at once and isolated for two weeks AZ {
place "a general embargo IN every one.
Common sense Lacking.
"I repeat tia. I am rot an advocat
or loose quarantine regulations. but onl.
for sarsness In their administration I
JUS 'libfiilI Wdr u pidBuC Va sllltilIVA
for instance. or leprosy. what a tremep
dous amount OF excitement there woul
ne.
The problem In the small towns is ex
c'us!vcly in the hands OF local authori
ties. and while there are many v!cinitie
where due caution mixed with CONNIE
scnse prevails, there are many places /
which just the opposite l. the case. TIL
problem in tho large cities Is. however
A,nts arl L.. A-.H.. ,.-s .a . Ii
proper way"
Or Banks announced that twely
physicians Of the United States Publ
Health Service, under instructions fror
General Blue have been trans
ferred to Philadelphia to forcstall IN
possible danger OF "a serious spread {
the disease in that city. This was take
yesterday as an indication that FEEDERS
officials believe the danger OF a furthe
spread of the epidemic in New York ha
passed. despite the Health department
eport OF "a slight increase in rev case
tor the day.
Gaining Farther south.
Spread Of the disease is now locke
FOR in the southern States. and In ar
ticipation OF this the Government
scattering Its experts to examine In
cipient indications thoroughly. TIL
work will commence In Philadelphia tn
week. In view OF more than % case
which have developed there recently.
DR.. NJ. II. Foster will have charge {
the PENNSYLVANIA work n will instltu'
he same measures which have been pl
in force here by Dr. Banks's stan sine
the beginning OF the epidemic. DR.. Fo,
ter will be assisted by Drs. J. u. Hurle,
Louis Schwartz. 7. +. Hughes. NJ.
lombard and several others.
Although the new cases reported
the city Health Department yesterda
shaved an increase Of Is over the da
esfore-there being 50 cases as sgain'
73--there was "a drop of 10 deaths.
being recorded az against 81 on Tue
day. Deputy Health Commissioner Bi
lings said the department was n,
alarmed over the high death rae.
Total OF 7,0s0 Cases.
Including yesterdays figures the'
have been 1885 cases and l,all death
Fifty-tvo more children have been dI
charged from the hospitals as cure
making IN total OF 554. Thu rev cas-
yesterday were divided as follows MAJ
haitian, ~ The Bronx. II Brooklyn. q
Queens, "a Richmond, 1.
Efforts to obtain former infantile p.
ralysis patients who will offer their bloc
90" seruw has proved almost unava!.in
The crying need from the hospitals no
Is blood, and despite the offer OF s. Vel
few are coming forward.
To "A large extent interest Is now ce,
tired on the after care OF the children
they leave the hospital. Acting May
bowling announced yesterday that !
would ask from the Board OF Alderms
an appropriation OF $250.0OO for tn
purpose,
Two Years Of After are.
A, "A meeting yesterday afternoon
The COMMITTEES on after care OF childrt
taken with paralysis ways and NEAR
were discussed. Dr. Thomas J. Riie
who presided. and Health Commission
Emerson said the after care should
continued for two years.
in Il report made to the Health n
partmrnt by Dr. Marion McMilla
Investigating committee. II was "a,
that sanitary conditions In the col
rrsl.d districts OF the city have great
improved generally hut that unsa nita
conditions often result from a scarci'
az water In tenement houses. This stat
,n"nt viii be investigated by the depar
AHSu..
INC New Jersey State Health y
lartin"nt recorded hfty-One new cas-
yesterday, bringing the total to date
$40. Three municipalities heretOfo
Hnanected showed evidences Of the di
'iac The new cases in Jersey were d
'dcd as follows:
Newark. II Camden, 2 East OranG
"'lsoy tIty, 4 each Long branch, PEN