Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-28
FIND DEVELOPED
CASE INFANTILE
PARALYSIS HERE
Francis Gilman. % Months Old. Son OF
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Gilman, Is
First Local Victim.
WEST END SETTLEMENT CLOSES
Gathering of Children in That Sec
ton of City To Be Discouraged as
Result of the Disease.

InfantiIe paralysis, the disease
which has caused the death of hun
dreds of children in the United States
this year and rendered invalid three
times as many more, was found in
fully developed case in Rock Island
today.
Francis Gilman, aged % months,
son of Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Gilman,
Glib Fifth street, is the victim. Inc
case developed in the last three days.
The child first became i'll of summer
complaint. Symptoms of infantile
PARALYSIS were noticed Immediately and
the family was cautioned to let no one
near the child. For three days the
baby was watched closely and today
the paralysis developed.
AS a result of the discovery of the
case in the west end all gatherings OF
children in that section of the city will
be discouraged. The victim OF the dis
ease lives across the street from the
West End settlement. 1t was an
nounced today that Sunday school
would be discontinued in the settle
ment building until further notice.
Dr. G. T. Foster, city health physi-
clan. is out of the city. No statement
could be secured from him today. Other
municipal health authorities planned
to take immediate measures to see that
the disease does not spread. The Gill
man home was quarantined today
when a sign was placed on the house.
The nature of the disease is not stated
on the sign. The house has been in
virtual quarantine for several days,
! however, and authorities state that
there is no danger of the disease hav-
ing spread from the Gilman home, as
I Z Ia her of no v
toned to permit no one to get near the
child.
First Case in County.
This is the first case, as far as is
| known. in Rock Island county. The
disease has been particularly severe in
/ the east this year. There are numer-
| Gus cases in Illinois, particularly large
number in Chicago. There has been
no infantile paralysis in Rock Island
! for several years previous to the pres
! ent case.
Medical authorities seem to disagree
as to the extent Of the cOntagiOn of
/ the disease. Some say that it is highly
/ contagious while others declare that
while it is contagious it not highly so.
/ DR.. Ossler of New York, a noted au-
thOrity on the disease, is of the Opin-
/ ion that it is contagious but not
/ greatly.
/ Between 20 and Is per cent of the
children who become i'll of the disease
/ die as a result. Those who live are left
/ invalids for the remainder of their
/ lives, the disease usually leaving its
mark in the form of paralysis or par
tial paralysis of a limb.
City authorities are anxious that the
/ disease does not spread. For this rea-
son they are cautiOning parents to be
! nj oh TT,iI
to gather together in any large num-
bers. They urge that the youngsters
! be dressed cody and be kept clean and
not permitted to play with other chill
dren. They also ask that if any child
/ becomes i'll that the family physician
be called Immediately. If symptoms of
the disease develop he will notify the
city physician and the case will be
watched. 1t is only through coopera-
ton Of the parents that an epidemic
can be avoided.
To Quarantine Family.
From another source today health
authorities were given great concern
Complaints coming from people liv-
ing on Twentieth street stirred the au-
/ thorities to action. 1t was stated in
the complaints that Mr.. and Mrs J. L.
Smith, 527 Twentieth street, had gone
to Chicago yesterday to attend the
funeral of niece who had died of in
fantile paralysis.
What are you going to do?" asked
one resident, talking to the mayor over
the telephone. You're not going to
let them back in the city, are you? If
you do, you must quarantine them.
Infantile paralysis is contagious and
we don't want it here"
Mayor McConochie stated that the
city health authorities would act. Mr..
and Mrs. Smith are expected home to-
morrow. The mayor said that in all
probability they would be placed in
quarantine. until such time as health
officials deemed it safe to release them.