| June 9, 2005 |
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Whatever Happened to Polio?
Until  AIDS, polio was the "most notorious disease" in 20th-century America. In 1916 alone it took the lives of 6,000 Americans, many of them children. It's difficult to believe that this debilitating illness forced family separations and quarantines, but it did. Polio also gave rise to the March of Dimes and the iron lung and influenced a president who suffered from the disease. This Smithsonian site explores how polio changed us, the vaccines that halted its crushing advance, and its medical legacy. Filled with pop-up audio, pictures, a timeline, and quotes, the site traces how deeply polio marked U.S. history and culture. It also reminds us that this debilitating disease is very much present in the world today as it continues to endanger many around the globe. Tragically, a site entitled "Whatever Happened to Polio?" must also ask, "Will there always be polio?" |
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