Evening star., 1945-06-30
Seckinger Reports
Second Consecutive
InfantiIe Epidemic

The District apparently" is now
In its second consecutive infantile
paralysis epidemic, DR.. Daniel l.
6eckinger, acting superintendent OF
Gallinger Municipal Hospital, has
reported to the Commissioners.
DR.. Seckinger said today he was
trying to arrange a meeting for the
near future with health officials In
the Metropolitan Area and the local
chapter of the National Foundation
for Infantile Paralysis. A spokes-
man for the chapter, which met
Tuesday, said that a special nurse
had been assigned to Gallinger
case.
DR.. Seckinger said that he did
not expect a widespread epidemic
like last year and that he did not
want to alarm parents. He de-
clared, however, that health officials
wished to prepare themselves for
cases that developed.
Successive Outbreaks Abnormal.
Earlier this week, DR.. James G.
Cumming, chief of the Bureau of
Preventable Diseases, said that out
breaks do not normally occur in
successive years.
Last year it was not until 120 cases
had been recorded in the District
from July l to August Is that
Health Officer George C. Rutland
admitted there was an epidemic.
Prior to that, health officials de-
clared repeatedly that they saw no
cause for alarm and said that the
number of cases had not reached
alarming proportions. 4
DR.. Seckinger said his hospital has
admitted two new cases in the past
two weeks. The health department
reported the fifth District infantile
paralysis case with the admission of
a 6-year-old boy to Childrens Hos
pital. The victim is from the 1400
block of Fort Dupont street Sc.
Told to Concentrate Care.
In an order yesterday, the Com
missioners instructed DR.. Seckinger
ito concentrate the hospital care of
these cases at Children's Hospital
and Gallinger, for the reason that
such concentration would save the
much needed manpoWer as repre-
sented in physicians, nurses and
other hospital attendants"
Children's Hospital, the Commits
sioners said, should take on such
out-of town cases as might be
brought to the District and Gal
linger Hospital facilities should be
reserved for the overflow of cases
and for such type of polio cases that
need the use of the respirator. Only
cases from the Metropolitan Area
are to be admitted to the use of this
facility.
One Victim From Arlington.
DR.. Seckinger said he wished to
have the Commissioners pass on
the question of admitting nonresi-
dents to Gallinger. One victim at
Gallinger is 38-year-old man from
Arlington County, Va, because there
are no isolation facilities there as
required by the Virginia Health De-
partment.
Last year the District had 33s
cases in the Metropolitan Area and
16 deaths. OF these, 1874 victims
we're from the District, II of which
died.
In addition, to the case reported
yesterday, others reported this week
include 6-year-old girl from Silver
Spring, an 18-year-old girl from the
4400 block of Quarles street NE,
a 9-year-old colored girl from
the $500 block of Georgia avenue
NV and a 4-year- boy from
Morningside, Md. Cases recorded
previously were of a 5-year-old boy
from the 1900 block of Sixteenth
street NV, and a 12-year-old girl
from the 1900 block of Nineteenth
street N w.