Evening star., 1944-09-17
Rutland Holds DELAY
In Opening Schools
Wou|dn't Check Polio
One Death From Disease,
Four New Cases Reported;
D. 6. TotuI Now 1856 A

Elimination of handshaking woulc
be more effective in preventing
spread of polio and many other bac-
terial diseases than postponing the
opening of schools tomorrow, DR.
George G. Rutland, District Health
officer, declared yesterday.
IF the washing of hands Is
scrupulously practiced and the very
unnecessary handshake is also got
ten rid of, We will lessen the Incl
dence in the spread not only of polio
but also of many other bacterial
diseases which are literally handed
from person to person." DR.. Ruh-
land explained.
The health official said past
experience has proved postponing
the schools has no effect whatever
on the spread of the disease. His
statement removed all possibility
the opening might be delayed since
Robert l.. Haycock, superintendent
OF schools, has said repeatedly that
he would act only on the recon-
uleuudLiOn OF LIT. Ruhldnd.
Foredoomed to Failure.
"While it would be an easy matter
to suggest such a step on which
some apparently pin great hope"
DR.. Rutland said, "it is unfortu-
nately in the light of experience
foredoomed to failure and therefore
would be a misleading and dishon-
est recommendation"
Parents, obviously, have the priv
ilege," he added, "of keeping their
children at home and isolating
themselves as well, though such a
step can hardly bring about that
complete isolation which might be
effective
While human contact is undoubt-
edly the chief means by which the
disease is spread, DR.. Rutland ex-
planned, there is no ready practical
means of determining who will be
susceptible to the disease at a given
time. Carriers are also impossible
to determine, he said.
ITO keep in children is, there
fore, no guarantee that the adult
who comes in contact with other
adults will not become unwittingly
the conveyor of the infection to the
child at home" he said, unless
the. entire family, adults as we'll as
children, can be rigidly isolated
from contact with the rest of the
population, the risk of transmitting
the infection exists"
DR.. Rutland said that at the
present time the only reasonable
and generally protective measure
against spread of polio is 'intensi-
flcation" of personal cleanliness,
particularly the washing of hands.
He added that the discharges from
the nose and throat may convey
the virus which produces the dis
ease.
Man Dies of Polio.
A death and four new cases of
polio were reported yesterday in
the District. The death was that
of Peyton Taylor, al, colored, of
BeltSville, Md. He had been admit
ted to Gallinger Hospital on Thurs
day, dying there last night. This
brought the total deaths from polio
here since July l to IA, the last one
occurring last Monday when a 30
year-old soldier died at Walter Reed
Hospital.
Four New Cases Reported.
The four new cases reported yes
terday brought the total cases in the
metropolitan area since July to 228.
The new cases, all from the North
west section, were three boys and
one girl, all white. The boys are
II, 13 and Is years old and the girl
13. This made a total of l36 cases
here since July l, with 90 being re-
ported from the counties nearby.
One case of complete recovery
from polio was reported yesterday.
A girl, whose home is IN Alexandria,
Va, was released as fully cured from
Children's Hospital.
The health officer insisted the
current outbreak lis no more Sc
we're nor even as severe" as those
the District has had in other years
He said 40 per cent of the cases
reported in the District since July
had no paralysis and in the ma
Jority of paralysis cases, complete
"or considerable recovery may be
confidently expected"
DR.. Rutland added that the cases
here showed decided drop" in
number, especially in the last two
weeks. He again predicted the out
break is on the decline.
State Health Department officials
at Richmond, Va, yesterday report
ed sharp decrease in polio cases
Tor the second consecutive day
There were only two cases listed
yesterday, one a six-year-old white
boy of Tazewell County and the
other a 29-year-old white woman of
Newport News. These cases brought
the total in the State since June
l to 512 and since September to
l58. The weeks total rose to so
cases, decline of Is from the previ-
bus week and of 20 from the week
before that. Health officials. how
aver, emphasized the drop may be
bnly a temporary one.