Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-10-31
Decrease in Infantile Paralysis Leads
Virginia State Health Board to Lift
Ban on Children from North.

arise, Nirginia's quarantine against
children from New York, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania will be raised on
November lst,-tomorrow.
This decision is announced by
Health Commissioner Williams and
follows an investigation of several
weeks into the prevalence of infan-
tile paralysis in the north. The dis
appearance of the disease from cities
and states where it was epidemic
and steady decrease in the number
of scattered cases, since the onset
of cool weather, leads the board to
believe that danger is largely past
for the present and that restrictions
on the travel of children will not be
necessary after the end of the pres
ent month.
The lifting of the quarantine will
relieve two Alexandria policemen,
who are compelled to stand in roads
all day and scan automobiles and
other vehicles entering the city. One
sentinel has been stationed on Wash
ington street extended at the extreme
northern limits of the city. and an
other at the entrance to Rosemont.
While these men were on duty vlsl-
tors could enter the city via Henry
street without being surveyed by the
officer. It was at the tiTe suggested
that state officers should have been
stationed at the south ends Of the
Auueduct and the Highway bridges,
in order to carry out the purpose or
the quarantine and that Alexandria
city policemen should not have been
compelled to act as Sentinals after
suspects had entered the State.
The quarantine was declared by the
board on August "a and became ef-
fective the next morning against all
children under -l6. years of age: uitz,
during the two weeks preceding the
time they sought to enter Virginia,
had been in New York. New Jersey
or Pennsylvania. Children from VIZ
cinia, sojourning in the north. were,
allowed to return if they remained in
quarantine for two weeks. This
quarantine remained unchanged until
October Sth, when the age-llmlt was
lowered to y years. This was d9re
because the statistics Of the board
showed that more than 81 per cent
of the children who contracted infan-
tile paralysis were under II.
As this was the first quarantine
os its kind declared in Virginia IN
many years, the machinery tor us
enforcement had to be created. 10
accomplish this, DR.. r. K. Flanagan,
Assistant Health Commissioner VS.
tod tho counties on the northern
horder Of Virginia and OH the East
ern shore and procured their coopera-
ton in patroling the automobile
routes. In addition, inspectors OF the
board were quietly placed at dlffer-
ont centcrs of travel and local health
officers were. enjoined to enforce the
quarantine to the letter. Some OF
the railroads south from Washington
also placed inspectors on the tra'hs
m examine the tickets and to check
the certificates of Virginia children
who were returned home. At one
time. the States inspector in Wash
ington was turning back as many as
twenty children day.
To the great relief of health auth
critics. Virginia escaped serious out.
breaks Of the disease. Prior to Aug
rust LIST. 95 cases had been reported
for the year from the State. During
August, IA cases were reported, dur
ing September 50 and during Octo-
her Ito the 26th). only q cases.
The total for the year to the last
week in October was 21S, In contrast,
Maryland had 270 cases to October
%, although the population of that
state is almost a million less than
that of Virginia. In Massachusetts,
during the same period. the number
of cases was 500; in New York and
Pennsylvania the figures mounted still
higher.
s.The State said Health Commls-
sioner Williams, should he pre-
foundly grarefull that it has thus
far escaped the ravages of this ter
rible plague of childhood. Whether
we shall have@to fight it again next
wear is a question that only time Will
settle. If it does appear, we hope to,
have further information regarding
it by that time and to be able to COM
bat it more skillfully; if it does not
appear, we shall have further cause