Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-19
MAY INCLUDE MARYLAND
IN STATE QUARANTINE
lnfantife Paralysis There Causes
Board OF Health to Consider
Safety Measures.
KEEN WATCH IS MAINTAINED
II Conditions to North OF Virginia
DO Not Take Turn for Better
Authorities Here Are Certain To
Take Drastic Action.

For the sake OF greater urecaution
against an epidemic OF infantiIc M
ralysis. the State Board of Health
may. within n short time. include the
state OF Maryland in the area agains,
which Virginia has declared n partial
quarantine. according to II statement
made yesterday by state Health Com
missioner Ennion G.. Williams The
number OF cases OF the disease has
reached alarming proportions in tina,
state. and Virginia may be forced to
take drastic action. if there is not n
change for The better within the near
future.
DIR. Williams is IN daily communi-
cation with the health authorities OF
Maryland, is receiving regular rcports
of new eases. ana is hoping that tho
situation will improve. If it does. dras-
tic action may not be necessary, and
the present quarantine against chill
drcn from the States of New York. New
Jersey and Pennsylvania may be raised
at no distant date.
MUST CONTINUE TO
SAFEGUARD THIS STATE
The board will dislike having to
quarantine against Maryland" said DR.
Williams yesterday, but, if the sit
uation in Maryland does not impro-c
we must take those precautions which
our experience leads us to believe have
has appeared in other States.
The original epidemic In New York
appears 10 have practically run its
course. but some of the eDidemics that
probably had their origin in New York
are still active. We have watched these
carefully and have modified the quar-
antiuc as our experience justified. but
we do no, feel that all danger is past
by any means. The most hopeful aspect
of the situation is that the disease
seems tn abatc or at least to lose some
OF its epidemic form when cold wealth
CT comes ON. This may merely mean
that trouble is postponed until next
summer in which case immediate ac-
iion will he necessary.
QUARANTINf: RESPONSiBI.E
FOR IMMUNITY HERE
Tho United States Public Health
Service recently published the returns
for infan,ile paralysis during Septcm-
her in all the States. Virginia had
fewer cases by far than any other
state on the Atlantic scaboard with
tn. possible exception Of North Caro-
lima, which did not file a report. In
asmuch as Virginia has the most strin>
gent quarantine OF any OF these States,
il is reasonable 10 suppose that uuaran-
tine has been responsible for at least
q part of our relative Immunity. II
is the one weapon We have employed
that some other states have neglect
ed. and it can hardly re coincidence
that our morbiditN was so low. The
board cannot afford not TO read its
warning from this situation and would
lac rccreant In its duty il it took
chances
As Il part OF the campaign To pre-
vent the spread OF infantilc paralysis
and other communicable diseases. the
Board Of Health has just issued pla-
card. which will be sent to all the
public schools in the state, contain
ing a warning 10 the children against
putting their fingers and their pen
els in their mouths. The breaking up
uf untidy habits OF childhood is re-
gardcd as Of especial Importance In
tho fight against prcvcntabie diseases.
COPY or the placard may he had on
request