Polio was originally called “infant paralysis.” The newspaper report below comes from 1922, 33 years before a safe vaccination was discovered and used on the populace. Polio cases became apparent starting in the early 1900s. By the 1920s, there was a lot of speculation as to the cause of the disease and whether or not the disease was even “real.”
Infant Paralysis Menace Denied By Dr. Monaghan
Acting Health Chief Takes Issue With Prof. Brues Regarding 1923 Epidemic
Dr. Frank T. Monaghan, Acting Commissioner of Health for New York City, does not agree with Professor Charles T. Brues as to the probability of a serious outbreak of infantile paralysis in this country next summer. Professor Brues, before the American Association for the Advancement of Science, being held in Boston, yesterday said the disease recurs in waves and epidemics of unusual severity, appear every second and seventh year, that the epidemic spreads rapidly and declines quickly, but leaves a trail of paralyzed people. He fears a recurrence next summer.
This to Dr. Brues, as it is essentially a summer disease, indicates it is borne by some insect, perhaps a flea or fly, or from some migrating animal. Dr. Brues suspects it is the rat, and cites that in New York City the epidemic was most severe in districts where rats were most numerous, near the water front and servers.
“With all due respect to Professor Brues,” said Dr. Monaghan today, “there is no evidence obtainable here that infantile paralysis is due next summer. These things do come in cycles as he says. We may have it next year. We know of no means of preventing its recurrence, because the method of contagion is not yet known. Should it come, however, and we are always watching for it, we feel quite sure we will be able to handle it better than before, because of our experience in the previous epidemic. But there is no reason to fear it, especially this coming summer.”
Source: The Evening World (New York City, NY newspaper). December 30, 1922.
