Evening star., 1941-09-04
No Cause for Alarm
Over Polio, Doctors
Tell D. T.. Parents
IA Coses Reported
In Prince Georges;
Small Increase Here

Hundreds of mothers are calling
their doctors or the Health Depart
ment to find out just how serious
the outbreak of infantile paralysis
in Washington really is.
They are being told there is no
cause for alarm.
Here are the facts behind that
statement:
Since the beginning of the year,
there have been "a cases of in
fantile paralysis reported, "a of them
in August. five of them since the be-
ginning of this month.
The number of cases in August
is the highest Washington has ever
had but that in itself is not con-
sidered alarming for several rea-
sons.
In the first place. occurrence of
the disease is usually spread more
equally over the four summer
months. There were no cases re-
ported here in June, only two in
July and "a in August. Physicians
predict that by the end of summer
the number of cases will not far
exceed the totals of other years.
In the second place, the largest
number reported for a previous Au-
gust was % cases in 1885. Since
then the population has increased
by more than 100000 people and
yet the August total for this year
is greater by only two cases.
14Cases In Prince Georges.
However, in Prince Georges
County, Nd, IA cases have been re-
ported this year, all in July and Au-
gust, and DR.. J. M. Byers, health
officer, warned parents to keep their
children from crowds and public
places until cooler weather. DR..
Byers said there is no need as yet
to delay the opening of Prince
Georges schools, scheduled for Mon
day.
There were no poliomyelitis cases
reported in Prince Georges County
in 1899 and 1910. There were seven
cases in 1888, the previous high.
In other countries, however, the
situation was reported much more
mild. DR.. v. L. Ellicott said there
were three cases in Montgomery
County, all of which were reported
during the past two weeks.
Only two cases had been reported
in Arlington County, Va.-one in
July and one in August-Dr. Ralph
G. Beachley, health officer, said.
In Alexandria, Va, there have
been three caSes-two in July and
one in August-and fourth suspf-
cious case reported in September,
the health officer, DR.. w. A. Browne,
said.
Calls Arlington Fortunate.
DR.. Beachley said Arlington had
been fortunate" so tar this year, in
view of the dense population there
and conditions prevalent elsewhere.
Last year Arlington had five cases
of poliomyelitis and four cases were
reported in 1899, he said. The Vir-
ginia total thus far in 1941 is SO, in
cluding % cases reported in August
and nine in September.
Compared with some other locali-
ties, Washington has gotten off
lightly.
From August "a to August 30
eight cases of poliomyelitis were
reported here. For the same period
Al cases were reported in New York
City and IA in Baltimore. York
County, Pa, with a population only
a fourth the size of the District re-
ported IS cases for the week end
ing August % to six in the District
and reported "a for the week end
ing August Is to eight in the Dis
trict.
Maryland has had 129 cases to
date this year, 81 of them reported
in August and so far in September.
In single week in August, when
six cases were reported in the Dis
trict, Alabama reported 78; Geor-
gia, IA; New York, 66; Ohio. A, and
Tennessee, 80.
Throughout the country, Public
Health Service officials say, the
rate of increase declined both last
week and the week before last. 1t
was predicted that for the country
as q whole the number of cases
will begin to decrease either this
week or next week.
Prevalent in Hot Chimes.
Now, here is what the public and
private physicians think of the pres
ent situation in the District:
District Health Off1cer George C.
Ruhland, now on his vacation, point
ed out that in past years Washing
ton has always escaped major out
breaks of poliomyelitis. Hot. dry
weather, he said, seems to be the
condition most favorable to the
disease, and Washington is notori-
ously humid.
"A child is as safe here as any
place else" he said. Polio Is found
all over the country"
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