Some Aspects of Poliomyelitis

Abstract

This article is an attempt to present a few of the interesting facets of poliomyelitis. It certainly does notinclude all the important aspects; these can be found in any standard text-book. There is evidence that poliomyelitis occurred in very early times;indeed, Osler in his Textbook of Medicine in the 1890’s believes the first recorded case to be in the Bible—2 Samuel, ch. 4, verse 4—“And Jonathan, Saul’sson, had a son that was lame on his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled:and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.” It was common belief that this paralysis followed a minor accident, and that it was cause and effect; this belief persisted until well into the nineteenth century. Thus Mephibosheth fell and became lame at the age of five. Was he the first recorded case of poliomyelitis? Osier believes so.