Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-19
First '48 Polio Victim
To DieinD T.. Area 10
Be Buried Tomorrow

Funeral arrangements were COM
pleted today for the District area S
first polio victim this year.
Requiem mass for William D.
shisler,. 20, of s4D7 Commonwealth
avenue, Alexandria, Va, will be
said at 10 am. tomorrow In st.
Rita's Church, Alexandria. Mr..
Shisler died Tuesday in Gallinger
Hospital Of bulbar polio which at
tacks the brain and spinal column
The latest case, reported this
morning by the Health Department,
is that of an-8.year-old boy living
in the TOO block of Abingdon street,
Alexandria, Va,
This brings the total for the
Washington area to 70 of which IS
are from the District and 81 from
out-of-town
Mr.. Shisler q native of York,
Pa. had lived in Arlington for the
last seven years. He attended
George Washington High School,
but left when .16, to do war work for
the Naval Research Laboratory. He
was employed there as craftsman
until the time Of his death. Burial
will be in Fort Lincoln Cemetery.
Two Cases From District.
Besides his parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
Fred r. Shisler, he is survived by
sister. Mrs: Betty Kemp of At
lanta, Ga.
OF three new cases reported yes
terday, two are from the District
and one from out of town. They
are: A 21-year+old man stationed at
Walter Reed Hospital, who was ad-
mitted as resident case; 4l-year-
old man living in the 5000 block Of
Nebraska avenue NV, who is in
Georgetown Hospital, and 29-year-
old man Of the 800 block of South
Arlington Mills drive, Arlington,
who is In Gallinger Hospital.
Last years total was 10, with five
in the District and eight from out
of town. -Four died.
Death Rate Kept Down.
This year the death rate, as well
as the Gripping effect of the paraly-
sis, has been kept to a new low
by early treatment. Therapy is
being given In all cases where symp-
toms of polio are present and before
paralysis actually sets in, where
possible.
Paralysis is considerably less this
year." said DR.. James G. Cumming,
director of the Bureau of Prevent
able Diseases of the District Health
Department. The reason for early
diagnosis is mainly that both the
public and the medical profession
are more polio-minded."
Nationally, the number of polio
eases reached an all-time high
through the middle of August, with
s,439 against TOPS for a similar
period in 1916, the second worst polio
year on record. The number of
cases still is increasing, but for the
second straight week the seven-day
total dropped behind the CORE
spending week in 1916.
Three States Show Increases.
The Public Health Service en-
phasized that the disease is still cpl
demic in parts of only three States
North Carolina, Texas and Califor-
MIA. Last week all three showed in
creases again after decrease the
week before 1ssf~% az
New cases in North Carolina
totaled 1872 for the week against ITO
the week before and 212 the week
before that; Texas totaled 80, against
81 and so in the two previous weeks.
and California totaled 24l, 1T, and
224.
Reports of four new cases sent
Virginias total to 2a1 yesterday
Norfolk County. with IS polio cases,
continued to be the States worst
spot for the disease. Arlington,
Elizabeth City and Pittsylvania
Counties each having reported IL
cases