Evening star., 1944-07-18
Careful Survey Start,
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 at
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
OF l30 Eleventh street NE. He had
been suddenly stricken i'll only last
Thursday, and was rushed to Gal
linger Friday noon. His pains con-
sisted first of severe headache and
soreness OF the neck muscles.
Advises Against Travel.
7 The Health Department said to-
|dAg this unfavorable change in the
Ep0no picture has caused some alarm
lA4ong residents and that many
calls have come to the department
from persons wanting to know. il
1t would be safe to travel South
The department advises agains,
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 Onicer 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. II these symptoms ap-
pear. a 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 Childrens
Hospital.
Nurse. 19, Is Patient.
A l9-year-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, hao
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 tc
f1ve. Three cases from Montgomery
and Prince Georges County, Nd.
were recorded last week.
At Children's Hospital one new
case was admitted last night. The
child, a 2l-month-old girl, was pu,
into a respirator. The case of a boy
Stewart Astrow. 4, of Silver Spring
Md, under observation for severa
days, was discharged when 1t was
determined that the child did no,
have the disease.
Meanwhile, from Richmond, Va.
the State Health Department re-
ported l6 new cases of the disease
mostly in the southern section OF
the State. They brought the total
for Virginia for the~year to date tc
60. of which 81 have occurred since
June l.
Health omcials said the high
number Of cases reported for thu
day might be explained by the fact
that reports for the preceding weei
start coming In on Monday or Tues.
lday,