Taking a Closer Look at Poliomielitis

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A disease that inhabits your entire body, and causes you to lose control of your mobility; claimed the lives of countless young boys and Americans across the nation. What’s that disease you may ask? Polio, the single handed most terrifying disease, of the early 1900s. Although polio, was unknown and under developed people still feared it for the worse. Just as America began to change, the polio epidemic followed right behind. There was a war going on in America’s backyard and the enemies are Americans versus a disease. According to David O’Shinskey “Polio: An American Story” polio dates back “from Egypt, around 1500 bd.” and then “ By the mid-1800s, … western Europe and the United States”. O’Shinskey then goes into the first documented evidence of polio in the United States. “The first recorded polio epidemic in the United States occurred in the Otter Valley, near Rutland, Vermont, in 1864”. Little did America know, we had our own warfare happening. Lots of events were going on with America and other countries but things were drastically changing for the worse. Polio began to inhabit the lives of younger little boys in rural areas such as Otter Valley Vermont. Thanks to his time and diligence, Doctor Charles Caverly and his extensive research to all victims helped come up with his own hypothesis that polio mainly affect and steams from males. Sparking his interest in this mystery disease Caverly began to study the cases and compare and contrast polio victims. Becoming one of many founding fathers of polio, Caverly opened doors for several scientists. With very little facts and ignorance about polio, several rumors and speculation began to rise and sweep the nation. There began to become ignorance and petty events to shape and ... ... middle of paper ... ...cure the HIV/AIDS studies and research is still going strong and fighting to find a cure. As far as poverty goes, the government has taken to creating special programs to help ensure and lower the homelessness. You now have housing and section 8 for people whom can’t afford to pay their bills and with children who can’t take care of them. With the help of food stamps it ensures that people aren't hungry and going without. Disability for those who can’t work or barley work due to problems with their health and that prevents them from working. The war against polio and poverty has been more successful when it comes to finding a cure for these problems. You can live with HIV/AIDS for longer than before but no cure has yet been found for it. These non-traditional wars have shaped America for the better and changed things and made the future of America a little brighter.

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