Evening star., 1944-07-18
Careful Survey Starts
On Polio Cases Here
As Boy, 9, Dies
Hospitals and Health
Officials Try to Meet
Apparent Spread

As infantile paralysis claimed Its
first District victim of the year a,
Gallinger Hospital last night, officials
of the Health Department, and the
two hospitals caring for polio cases
began careful survey of the
latest developments in what ap.
peared to be spread of the disease
here.
The polio victim was James Gibson
9-year-old son of James T. Gibson
Iof l30 Eleventh street NE. He hac
been suddenly stricken i'll only las,
Thursday. and was rushed to Gal
llnger Friday noon. His pains con-
sisted first of severe headache and
soreness OF the neck muscles.
Advises Against Travel.
The Health Department said to-
day this unfavorable change in the
polio picture has caused some alarm
among residents and that many
calls have come to the department
from persons wanting to know il
it would be safe to travel South
The department advises against
travel through North Carolina, par
ticularly in the central area. where
most of the polio cases are con-
centrated. and suggests that those
going farther south should avoid
stopping in North Carolina.
At least one of the local cases
appears to have been contracted in
North Carolina, the department
said. Health Officer George c. Ruh-
land advised persons coming into
the city from areas where infantile
paralysis prevails to watch for the
appearance Of early symptoms such
as headache. backache, vomiting
and fever If these symptoms ap-
pear, physician should be called
without delay, he said.
Funeral services for the Gibson
boy will be held tomorrow afternoon
at the Lee funeral home and the
body will be taken to Evergreen. Va,
for interment in the family lot there
Surviving are his father and
mother and two young brothers.
William and Charles, none of whom
was i'll from the disease this morn
ing. according to reports from the
home.
The polio cases from WASHINGTON
and nearby areas are being hospital
lied at Gallinger and at Children S
Hospital.
Nurse, 10, Is Patient.
A 19year-old student cadet nurse
of Sibley Hospital. who returned
Thursday from a trip South and to
Ohio, is at Gallinger.
The young woman, admitted To
the hospital over the week end, had
been previously considered by the
Health Department as a suspected
case. 1t was decided late yesterday
that it was definitely a polio case.
Two other polio cases were also
reported yesterday by Gallinger and
Children's Hospitals, bringing the
total Washington cases this year to
five. Three cases from Montgomery
and Prince Georges County, Md.
were recorded last week.
is New Cases at Richmond.
At Children's Hospital one new
case was admitted last night. Tn.
child, a -month-old girl, was pu,
into respirator. The case of a boy
Stewart Astrow. 4. of Silver Spring
Md, under observation for severa
days. was discharged when it wa:
determined that the child did not
have the disease.
Meanwhile. from Richmond. Va.
the State Health Department re-
ported Is new cases of the disease,
mostly in the southern section of
the State. They brought the total
for Virginia for the year to date to
60, of which 81 have occurred since
June l.
Health officials said the. high
number of cases reported for the
day might be explained by the fact
that reports for the preceding week
start coming in on Monday or Tues
IdaV