Evening star., 1945-07-18
3 New Polio Cases
Reported ind. C.Area.
Boosting Total 10 81

Three new cases of infantile
paralysis have been reported by Dis
trict hospitals in the last "a hours.
bringing the total number of cases
in the Metropolitan Area this year
to 81.
Walter Reed Hospital reported late
yesterday that it had 12-year-old
girl of the 1900 block of Forty-first
place Sc. Two new cases were re-
ported today. One is a 7year-olo
boy from the 200 block of Gallatin
street NV. at Children's Hospital,
and the other is a 23-year- old
woman from the 800 block of street
NE. who is at Gallinger.
The Health Department said the
two cases reported today were nom
paraIytic ones. They bring the total
number of District victims to l6.
Receive No Communication.
Meanwhile. a spokesman at Chill
dren,s Hospital said that the hos
pital had not received any COM
munication from Health Officer
George c. Ruhland asking that re-
ports of suspected or known polio
cases be released by the Health De-
partment rather than by the hos
pital.
1t was said 1t would be up to the
medical staff to decide whether in
formation was to be given out If
such request were received. He
said. meanwhile, he would continue
to give reports to the press.
In letter OF July II sent to the
District Medical Society, DR.. Ruh-
LAND said he did not believe an
epidemic was likely and that at
least three reported cases of polio
were not infantile paralysis, one of
them being twisted neck.
Faulty symptoms Possible.
DR.. Rutland pointed out that
hot weather frequently leads to
muscular cramps, which may lead
to faulty diagnosis.
II also wish to call attention. /"
DR.. Rutland said, Ito the report of
the United States Public Health
Service in its news letter of last
week on communicable diseases
which refers to the fact that the
carrying over of cases that devel-
oped last year, and are only now
reported, gives the apparent in
crease which the National Founda-
ton (for infantile paralysis un-
fortunately plays up in the issue of
June, 1945.
Would Centralize Reports.
"The committee on communicable
diseases of the American Public
Health Association in its most re-
Gently revised report recon-
mends that because Of the uncer-
tainty of diagnosis in cases that do
not show paralysis, only paralysis
cases should be counted officially
as poliomyelitis and in comparing
rates. / feel that this is wisdom
and hope We can secure co-opera-
ton from the profession to that
effect"
Theodore Wiprud, secretary of
the Medical Society. informed DR..
ASOAhdiio yCSbCluoy bAldG Allo iCCOill- .
mendation about centralizing re-
porting in the department had the
approval of the society's Commit
tee on Public Health and Subcom-
mittee on Child Welfare.
Agreeable to Plan.
Walter Reed also said it had not
received any communication from
DR.. Rutland, but that it agreed
with the plan for centralizing re-
porting and that information from
the wards would be channeled
through the public relations officer.
Nurses to serve in the polio emer-
gency reported in the South and
West are being recruited by the
American Red Cross Disaster Nurs-
ing Service at the request of local
health officers, and in cooperation
with the National Foundation for
Infantile Paralysis, it was an
Isnounced today. Basil O'Cennor,
national chairman of the ARC, and
president of the foundation. said
the organizations we're prepared to
meet last summers total of 1000
emergency service nurses If neces-
Sary.