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During the first half of the 20th century, no illness inspired more fear and panic than polio. Sometimes called infantile paralysis, polio struck the US every summer and fall. In 1952 more than 21,000 cases of paralytic polio were reported.

I can remember in my lower grades how we dreaded this disease. A good friend of mine, a Freddie S. , contacted this and never knew what happened to him. The scary part was being confined to the dreaded Iron Lung. It was about the size and weight of a small car, and was a sealed chamber with an electrically driven bellows that regulated breathing. People with polio were encased in this monster for months, years and sometimes life.

One year my mom would not let me go to the swimming pool for fear that I might contact polio. An article in a 1955 PTA newsletter states: Six PTA members were asked to assist with duties during the Norwich polio clinic Friday morning at the Norwich High School. They were: Mrs. H. Markle, Mrs. C. Metzgar, Mrs. J. Pozefsky, Mrs. L. Knudson, Mrs. D. Wright and Mrs. B Dales. 376 First and second graders were inoculated.

When the Salk vaccine came out, we couldn't get to the Drs. fast enough. Thank God this monster was finally defeated.

5 comments on this topic:

kingstboy says:

May 3rd, 2008 at 8:47 pm

I'm old enough to remember getting the Salk vaccine, but just a little too young to remember the fear the disease caused. Yes, Pappy, thank God that monster was defeated. Sadly, it marked too many who survived but were scarred by it. A boy in our church, a couple of years younger, was a survivor, but had to wear a brace on his leg and I think may do to this day.

Dianne says:

May 6th, 2008 at 10:30 am

Yes , it made the summertime scary for parents.My aunt contracted it one summer..She was lucky as she was pregnant at the time..Fortunately both her and the baby came out of it fine..Very lucky indeed...

Dianne says:

May 14th, 2008 at 2:34 pm

Just wondering Pappy was your home in Fl. safe from all those fires??

pappy says:

May 15th, 2008 at 8:51 am

Yes Dianne, we are about 1 mile from the worst of the fires. I do have woods behind my house but it is separated by a small canal. We do have woods all around us on all sides, so we could be in trouble if it got real serious.

I cannot understand these idiots that set these fires. It goes on all the time, but you don't hear of them because they usually are not so bad. Also, a lot of homeless people live in the woods.

Dianne says:

May 15th, 2008 at 3:07 pm

Glad to hear you were spared...I really hope they throw the book at guy...Let's hope we get some good rain soon..