Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-02
WARNING ISSUED AGAINST
|NFANT|LE PARALYSIS
State Board Of Health Advised Of
Thirty Cases From Seven Coun-
ties and One City.
ADVISES ABSOLUTE FRANKNEss
Efforts to Evado Quarantine Law
Are Criminal, and Will BE Punish
ed, Says Commissioner Keep
Children Out of Rockingham.

Thirty cases OF i~nfantile paralysis
were reported to the State Board Of
Health from seven counties and one
city during the month of July.
Three cases have been reported from
the city OF Richmond, approximately
twenty-five cases from Rockingham
County. three from Page. two from
King and Queen. two from Pittsylvania
and one each from Goochland and Rich
mond counties. The health authori-
ties OF Ra%ppahannock county have re-
ported a Of cases. but as
they have not been specific. exact in
formation will not be available until
the State officer dispatched there has
fled his report.
Acting on the basis OF this informa-
ton. the State Board of Health yes
terday issued a bulletin of warning
and called upon physicians to report
Immediately, as required by law, all
cases of infantile paralysis.
Absolute f~rankness regarding the
present situation said Health Com
missioner Williams yesterday. us
necessary to keep the people advised.
to afford a basis for proper action and
to prevent the spread Of ~unfounded
rumors. Physicians owe 1t to the pub
lie as we'll as to the law to report i'm
mediately all cases that occur in their
practice and Immediately establish
quarantine. Evasion of the law. In
cases OF this sort. is criminal and
will be punished promptly and effec-
lively.
CHILDREN SHOULD NOT ENTER
OR LEAVE ROCKINGHAM COUNTY
Some Of the cases that have been
reported are probably Of the sporadic
type and need not cause serious APP
p~rehensions. Other cases apparently
are of the epidemic type and may be
responsible for the future spread of the
disease. All cases must be treated as
though they were OF the greatest dan
ger. for only in this way car proper
precautions be taken.
The situation has not yet assume
proportions that make II necessary to
give public warning against travel in
all parts of the State. but IT is serious
enough to justify us In saying that
children should not enter or leave
Rockingham County. 1t may be neces-
sary to add Page and Rappahannock
to this list. II so. public notice will
be given.
The board is taking steps to con-
ent area of infection and is working
in cooperation with the United States
Public Health Service. II it becomes
necessary. We shall ask the govern
ment to detail us additional officers to
assist the State force in diagnosis and
quar- TOT the present, the most
important measures of prevention are:
first. the isolation Of all cases and,
secondly, the sanitation Of our towns,
cities and rural districts. To this end,
the board has written an urgent APP
peal to the councils and boards Of sup
ervisors and will rigidly exercise all
the powers at its m
The best advice we can give to par
ents in the infected districts is to keen
small children from contact with
other children. and. as far as possible,
from contact with all persons. The
more carefully this is done, where the
surroundings are sanitary, the less
chance there is that the child will be-
come infected.
While these precautions must be
taken. it is only fair to say that de-
spite the number of cases reported
during July the total number thus far
Tor the year is only sixty-eight. This
Is less than the number reported 70
the corresponding date in 1915. we
ought, therefore. to be extremely Wig
liant, but should not become panic.
stricken or be deceived by false RI.
mors. If physicians will obey the Ian,
and report Immediately all cases that
occur in their practice. the board will
give full publicity. without embarrass-
ing individuals. and will keen the neo-
pie OF Virginia fully advised as 10
every development"