Evening star., 1916-07-19
|NFANT|[E PARALYSIS -
CASES NUMBER -FOUR
Another Is Reported to Local Health
DEPARTMENTAL in
- Mild Form.

The fourth case of infantile peralysi!
| to be discovered in Washington since
the outbreak of the New York cpl
demic was reported to the health de-
apartment today.
Raymond P. Miller, three years old
| of 725 Irving street northwest is the
! latest patient. The other three. &C.
cording to health department records
are Milton Harrison. one year old. OF
| 1913 Potomac avenue southeast; Cath.
crime Monnihan, one year old. of GA X
street northeast, and Alta ]. Goodman
| two years old, of 514 Taylor street
northwest.
| All four cases are of mild form and
| in two of them there is doubt as to
| whether correct diagnosis has been
| made.
Will Not P1acard Houses.
| has not reached epidemic form here
| and also because of uncertainty as to
! their authority in the matter, the Com
| missioners for the present have decided
| not to placard the houses in which the
| patients are being treated
This decision was reached today after
number of conferences between Com
missioner Newman, DR.. John L. Norris
and DR.. William c. Fowler of the health
department and Francis H. Stephens.
assistant corporation counsel
The law passed by Congress in 1897
giving the Commissioners authority to
placard houses in case of certain dis
eases makes no mention of infantile
paralysis. This is attributed to the
fact that little was known of the dis
ease at that time.
however, that if the malady should
gain a sufficient foothold here to
threateu an epidemic, the Commission =
ers. under broad Interpretation of
their police power for protecting the
public, would Immediately require the
placarding of all houses in which the
scourge is discovered.
Seek to Reduce Danger.
Both the health and street cleaning
departments are bending every effort to
bring about strict compliance with the
Districts sanitary regulations in order
that danger of the spread of the dis
ease may be reduced to a minimum. The
street cleaning department. it was an
nounced today. will prosecute house
i
garbage cans. Covered garbage recep-
taclees and properly screened homes
will go long way, it is believed, to-
ward starving the fly, which Is thought
to be carrier of infantile paralysis.
Sanitary inspectors of the health de-
partment are rounding up the lunch
rooms and stables that ignore the sani-
tary regulations and thereby aid in the
breeding of countless flies. Reports
reaching the department indicate that
n
the cleanup fever and that the capital
is approaching a state of sanitary per.
lection 1t has never before known.
Suggestions to Prevent Disease.
DR.. John L. Norris, assistant health
| officer. today issued the following
statement containing suggestions for
preventing the development of in
| fantile paralysis:
Parents should see that their chill
dren do not place in their mouths any
substance which has been in contact
with the lips Of another child. The
transference Of toy. horn. whistle OF
similar article is to be avoided. and
any vessel which has been or may
have been in contact with the lips OF
another person is to be looked upon as
a source of danger unless such vessel
container or toy is known to have been
safe and practicable method of sterfliz.
ing such articles is. by means OF. boil
| ing. The mere removal of the visible
dirt or grease by means of cold OF
| lukewarm water or alkalies. such at
soap. cannot be relied upon.
The means by which the infection
Of fnfantile paralysis is ordinarily con.
veyed mas not as yet been definitely
determined: The disease has beer
known to be carried by the stable fy
and 1t has been demonstrated that the
excretia from the nose. throat and di.
gestlve tract of persons suffering from
the disease contain the infection. Car.
riers, persons who farbor the germ In
the nose and throat and yet because OF
an immunity which they possess pre-.
sent no physical symptoms, are capable
of conveying the disease and of distrib.
uting it to susceptible persons
Proper Screening Urged.
| The health department is pfvtne