(Spring 2009) [Polio]

Transcription

Volume 2, Number 1
Stanislaus
Historical
Quarterly
Spring 2009
Stanislaus County
Founded 1854
An Independent Publication of Stanislaus County History
Stanislaus County’s Polio Epidemic
Historical Places in Stanislaus County
This section is devoted to the history of places in Stanislaus County. The excerpts are concise, similar to those found in place name
dictionaries or encyclopedias. The information was gleaned from a variety published books, periodical articles, and newspaper articles,
with the data being combined to form each excerpt. This section will be continued in future issues of SHQ, featuring other county
places and their histories.
(1) Brush Lakes was a sportsmen’s preserve, circa 1915, containing
several hundred acres, 12 miles from Modesto. The lakes formed
every year from receding flood waters of the San Joaquin River.
The lakes varied in size, from one acre to 60 acres, and varied in
depth, from one to 20 feet.
Fishing was good for trout,
perch, catfish, and especially
bass. Geese and ducks were
in great abundance, feeding
off the grain fields on the
7
5 4
West Side. There was a
6, 8
charge of $2 a day for
3 1
hunting and 50¢ for lunch.
2
Family camping was
available. The preserve was
owned by Edward Brush and
managed by Joe Enos.
(2) Byersville named for John Byers, who owned a grocery store
and was postmaster at the site. When the railroad came to the
West Side in 1888, much of the settlement at Crows Landing, on
the San Joaquin River, moved west to the railroad, establishing a
new town of Crows Landing. John Byers remained at the old site,
operating his grocery store, and was instrumental in persuading
the federal government to grant a post office at Byersville, located
in Byers’ grocery store. He served as the postmaster, while the
post office existed, November 14, 1889 to August 2, 1894. Soon, the
grocery store was the only structure left at Byersville, being
destroyed by fire in the mid-1930s.
(3) Christman Island is a 780-acre island located on the San
Joaquin River near Highway 132’s bridge. The Christman family
raised cattle on the island and at its adjacent ranch. In 1936, Ed
Mapes bought the island and sold it to Bill Lyons. It was purchased
by the National Audubon Society for $1 million from Bill Lyons in
the late 1980’s, becoming part of the National Wildlife Refuge.
(4) Claribel was a flag stop on the railroad line that had been
extended south from Oakdale to Merced in 1890. The purpose of
the stop was to ship sacked grain and baled hay from the locale.
Other stops on the line were Waterford, Hickman, Montpelier, and
Ryer. Unlike Claribel, some stops had warehouses, stations, and
sidings.
(5) Claus also known as Clause or Clauston, was located on the
San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad line, three miles
south of Riverbank. It was a train stop, being named for Claus
Spreckles, known as the “Sugar Baron,” who held the majority of
stock in the railroad. During its competition with Central Pacific, it
was known as the “People’s Railroad.” Construction of the railroad
crossed the Stanislaus River on February 28, 1896, with Riverbank,
Claus, and Empire, becoming the railroad stops on the line.
Construction of the railroad reached Bakersfield in September 1897.
Claus had a post office in 1902, closing on September 30, 1907.
There were some buildings in the Claus community as well.
(6) Coffee Field was an early Modesto airport that was located
where the municipal golf course is today. Originally, it was named
Modesto Aviation Field on land donated by T.J. LeHane. The name
of the airport was changed in 1926 to Bud Coffee Aviation Field, in
memory of Harold “Bud” Coffee, who died in an airplane crash. The
accident occurred on July 14, 1921, when Coffee was flying an
experimental plane, powered by a new Jacuzzi motor. He had flown
some of the airplane’s company representatives to Yosemite. In his
return fight, while buzzing Modesto before landing, a wing broke
off over Maze Wren Park, near Laurel Street, resulting in the aircraft
crashing, killing all aboard. In 1929, Coffee Field closed, being
replaced by a city-county airport a few miles upstream along the
north bank of the Tuolumne River. In 1933, the airfield’s land was
converted into a golf course, called the Modesto Municipal Golf
Course, designed and maintained by professional golfer, Lan
McDonald.
(7) Cooperstown was named for William F. Cooper and was a stage
and railroad stop. Cooper owned everything in the settlement, which
included a store, saloon, and stage depot. It was located in the Dry
Creek valley, which was seven miles northeast of Waterford. The
valley was two miles wide and 15 miles long, mostly occupied by
American ranchers, beginning in the mid-1850s. Some of the ranchers
owning land were: Butternut and Miller Cattle Company, John Grohl,
Montgomery Horse, William H. Rushing of Rushing Land and Cattle
Company, and E.H. Smith. Cooperstown was a stage stop to and
from the mines, but freight wagons avoided the settlement in wet
weather, because the clay soil turned to mud, bogging down the
wagons. The Sierra Railroad laid tracks from Oakdale, 16 miles west,
through Cooperstown in June 1897. Cooperstown was the fourth
stop on the line, in between Warnerville, the third stop, and Chinese
Camp, the fifth stop. It took one hour to travel from Cooperstown to
Oakdale by rail. The 4-6-0 Rogers locomotive traveled up and down
the line for over 30 years, pulling a mail-baggage car and a passenger
car. On July 27, 1901, the post office was opened, closing on August
31, 1932.
(8) Cooper’s Lake was on the Dry Creek in Modesto, near the La
Loma Avenue crossing. M.L. Cooper built a small dam across the
creek at that point, causing a small lake to form for swimming and
boating. It became a popular picnic location, but the dam was washed
away by floods, disappearing in 1910.
Cover photos: From March of Dimes, FDR Library, and S.F. Children’s
hospital. Dr. Salk is in the bottom right photo administering vaccine. In a
rare photo, FDR is caught on crutches.
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Stanislaus Historical Quarterly
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The Polio Epidemic in Stanislaus County
A Time of Fear - A Time of Community Support
T hose who lived through the county’s polio epidemic of the late
1940s and early 1950s will never forget the fear and uncertainty that
surrounded the era. It was a scary time, not knowing when the
poliovirus would strike again. It could be a fatal disease, and it
always left a trail of crippled humanity in its wake, struggling in
steel braces, hampered by iron lungs, and contending with endless
physical therapy. But the poliovirus made a drastic mistake when it
victimized Franklin Roosevelt, because he was a giant killer, who
would gather the forces to eventually defeat it. He founded the
National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) and the March
of Dimes to organize and lead the fight against the disease. NFIP
funded the research that produced the vaccines by Salk and Sabin,
and it also paid the medical bills of all polio victims, who could not
afford the expense. The fight against polio is an inspiring story, and
our county was right in the midst of it.
First Polio Cases
Stanislaus County’s first recorded polio cases occurred in December 1910. Russell George Benson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Benson,
Modesto, was inflicted with the dreaded disease during the evening
of December 29th, expiring the next day. The Stanislaus County
Weekly News reported:
This is the first time that it [polio] had struck close to home, and
no stone should be left unturned to prevent its further spread in
this community. So little is known of this strange and terrible
disease, and so swift is its operation, that the physicians are
baffled. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Benson have not the slightest idea
where their little one contracted the disease, and the physicians
are at a loss to know whether or not there are other cases in the
city at the present time. . . . It is of the greatest importance that
every known method of fighting this plague be invoked at this
time. The health officers and the authorities should take the
initiative, and should have the earnest and whole-hearted cooperation and support of every man, woman, and child in Modesto.
On December 30th, another polio death was announced in the newspaper. This time it was four-year-old Cecil Snover, son of Mr. and
Mrs. John Snover, who lived five miles south of Modesto. The
child had not left their ranch for several weeks, not even to attend
the Christmas program at Central School. He had a cold, but then
paralysis was noticed, gradually creeping from his legs to his chin.
Next his breathing faltered, and the virus struck his brain stem
killing him. He was under the care of Dr. Pendegrass of Ceres, with
local physicians, C.W. Evans and Kennedy, under consultation.
The case was beyond their experience and skills.
Following these two quick deaths, county residents were asked to
take every safeguard to prevent the spread of polio. Stanislaus
County Weekly News published an article listing the prevention
measures drafted by health authorities: “(1) Disinfect everything
about the house where the patient is sick; (2) Use peroxide of hydrogen as a nose and throat disinfectant, by all persons in the
household and in the community; (3) Eliminate the public drinking
cup; (4) Eliminate the public towel; (5) Isolate polio cases from
others.”
The local newspaper carried a piece concerning rehabilitation methods used with polio-stricken children at the Tiny Tim Guild in London, England. The
institution received
children who were
released by general
hospitals, when it
was felt that nothing further could be
done for them. The
Tiny Tim staff utilized musical instruments
in
its
therapy: “The secret of the treatment
is to build up the
strength of the
paralyzed muscles
and nerves of children by encouraging them to use
their limbs in the Famous photo of FDR at Warm Springs,
way each indi- only one of two photos ever taken of him
FDR Library photo
vidual likes best. in a wheelchair.
The music keeps
their interest up and prevents their becoming tired and bored,”
explained a clinician. A boy of six, whose right arm had been completely paralyzed, played a drum, building up his arm’s strength to
where it was nearly as agile as the other arm. Another child with
paralyzed legs marched to music while sitting on a low wooden
chair, bringing stoutness to the leg muscles. The article was important in that it informed Stanislaus County residents of polio elsewhere, its seriousness, and that there was hope even for the severely paralyzed.
Polio during the 1930s
California’s first polio epidemic occurred in 1934-35, with Stanislaus
County having only a limited number of cases. On June 22, 1934,
two boys were reported by the Turlock Tribune of having contracted polio. In October 1935, the newspaper reported three local
cases, with one being a Filipino youngster and another, a fouryear-old girl, daughter of Mrs. Gertrude Fry of Turlock. The virus
also struck an adult, Mrs. Ruth Swanson, who was a Turlock Irrigation District employee. Turlock city physician, Dr. C.E. Pearson,
informed the public that all patients were recovering satisfactory,
but he asked the public for vigilance, so the virus would not spread.
For the next decade, incidents of polio were rare in the county, until
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thankfully so, because it was the only funding for communities to
fight polio.
the epidemic struck after World War II.
March of Dimes
In 1938, NFIP, a nonprofit organization, was chartered by President
Roosevelt, and headed by Basil O’Connor, with its headquarters at
Warms Springs, GA. There was no public funding to fight polio at
the time, so NFIP took on the incredible responsibility of providing
money for polio research and grants for medical assistance to communities and families.
In January 1946, the junior chambers of commerce of Modesto and
Turlock joined together to sponsor the 1946 March of Dimes drive.
The local committee was headed by Louis Santos, who later in
March reported that Turlock had raised $2,140 in the March of
Dimes campaign, with a benefit dance netting $650 alone. In August, Los Angeles reported it had 80 new polio cases, with worried
local health officials expecting many more. An appeal was flashed
to California Red Cross units to send nurses to Los Angeles to help
in the emergency.
In November 1946, Stanislaus County resident, Stanley Elmer Eyre,
17, contracted polio, requiring an iron lung for his survival. He was
transported to a Fresno hospital for care and treatment. Stanley
demonstrated marked improvement, and in January 1947, he was
removed from the iron lung, only to have a relapse, ending in his
death. At this time, poliovirus was inflicting mostly infants and
children up to age of nine. It was uncommon for a teenager to be a
polio victim and very uncommon for anyone older; however, Glover
Justus, 26, of Turlock, was first diagnosed having encephalitis, or
sleeping sickness, and was transported to San Francisco, as reported by Stanislaus County health officer, Dr. George F. O’Brien.
Then it was found that he had contracted polio, requiring placement in an iron lung. He was a married, with children.
FDR and Basil O’Connor at Warm Springs, 1928
FDR Library photo
In 1934, President Roosevelt sponsored “Birthday Balls,” held nationwide every January, celebrating his birthday, to raise money for
polio research and the treatment of polio victims. Because of his
influence and popularity, these celebrations were attended by the
well-heeled crowd, raising millions to fight polio. During one of his
presidential radio addresses, he asked the public to send their spare
change, such as dimes, to the White House to help battle polio.
This informal request turned into an annual campaign against polio, becoming known as the “March of Dimes,” a term coined by
popular entertainer Eddie Cantor. Annually in January, the public
received March of Dimes’ coin cards in the mail from the local NFIP
chapter to insert their donated coins. Once filled, the cards were
forwarded to the chapter treasurer. Communities became increasingly involved, holding March of Dimes benefits, such as dances,
dinners, performances, and Mothers’ Marches.
Once the March of Dimes donations were collected and counted
by the local chapter, one-half was sent to NFIP headquarters to be
used in polio research and to loan to chapters needing help. The
other half of the donated funds was retained by the local chapter to
pay the medical bills of families who could not afford to do so and
to fund medical equipment and personnel as needed. If a local
chapter ran short of money, then NFIP would loan the capital, expecting to be reimbursed later when the local chapter had once
again raised funds. This program was enormously successful, and
On January 15, 1947, the national March of Dimes drive was launched
at the Hollywood Bowl, with California Governor Earl Warren present
and NFIP President O’Connor as spokesman. O’Connor announced
that the 1947 campaign’s goal was to raise $24 million, because the
NFIP’s treasury was depleted, having spent $13 million for hospital
care for 25,000 polio victims in 1946.
Stanislaus County had 30 polio cases in 1946, with nine victims
from previous years still under hospitalization. The local NFIP chapter was headed by Louis Santos, who launched the 1947 March of
Dimes crusade, with Turlock Mayor Roy M. Day issuing this proclamation:
Whereas, the disease of infantile paralysis rages in many cities
of our nation every year, leaving in its wake hundreds, even
thousands, of stricken men, women and children, many of them
crippled for life, and
Whereas, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, by
assuring all victims of poliomyelitis and by carrying on its great
program of research for the prevention and possible cure of this
virulent disease, has the overwhelming gratitude of the American people, and
Whereas, the March of Dimes, conducted annually by the National Foundation will be held January 14 to 31.
Therefore be it resolved, that all citizens are urged to cooperate
with the March of Dimes in Turlock, to deposit their gifts in
collection boxes set up by the Committee, or to send them to
March of Dimes, P.O. Box 59, Turlock.
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March of Dimes’ “wishing wells” were placed in stores, banks, and
other public buildings throughout the county to collect the public’s
donations. A benefit dance was held at the county fairgrounds on
January 31st, sponsored by Modesto and Turlock junior chambers
of commerce.
The Turlock Tribune reported on March 14, 1947 that Gordon Earle
Goldberry, 8, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon E. Goldberry, formerly of
Turlock, now residing in Modesto, died from a sudden attack of
polio. The newspaper featured an article in September with the
news that Dr. Herbert S. Loring at Stanford University, funded by
NFIP, was developing a polio vaccine that was being tested on
laboratory rats, resulting in significant polio immunity.
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On August 27, 1948, Dr. O’Brien reported that the county had 34
polio cases for the year, including two deaths. Merced County now
had 48 cases, including three deaths; Fresno County 40, including
two deaths; Madera County six, including two deaths; and Kings
County five, no deaths. California thus far had 1,728 cases, including 91 deaths for the year; Texas had 1,186, including 85 deaths;
and North Carolina had 1,670, including 83 deaths. It was announced
that a Roosevelt grandson contracted a mild case of polio.
The Epidemic Begins
In January 1948, Turlock March of Dimes chairman, Jim Silva, instituted a program whereby dimes deposited in city parking meters
would go to the March of Dimes campaign. Coin cards were sent to
11,000 Turlock Irrigation District customers to fill with their donations. The local newspaper noted that California already had five
new polio cases the first week in January, anticipating an epidemic
year. On June 28th, county health officials disclosed that the county
had nine polio cases during the month, with one case each in Denair
and Newman, and the others coming from rural areas.
Nearly all the county’s polio cases were transported to Merced and
Fresno county hospitals, because Stanislaus County Hospital was
not equipped for polio care. Advanced polio cases were sent immediately to San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital that specialized in
polio treatment.
County health officer, Dr. O’Brien, prompted families to call their
doctors immediately if any child had unusual symptoms or symptoms related to childhood diseases. He warned against children
making new contacts, being overly fatigued, and swimming in polluted waters. He advised everyone to wash their hands before eating and keep flies and insects off food.
The Turlock Tribune reported on July 2, 1948 that there had been
13 new cases of polio already in the county for the year, including
one death. This was dreadful news since 1946 and 1947 had 14
cases each for the entire year. As of July, San Joaquin Valley had 58
polio cases, including four fatalities. Polio struck 30 victims in
Merced County, compared to none the previous year. Madera
County reported it had three cases, similar to 1947. Fresno County
had nine cases, compared to eight the previous year. Kings County
was without cases yet for 1948, having had none for 1947.
Stanislaus County raised $15,000 in its March of Dimes drive for
1948, with half being retained locally. On July 9th, NFIP loaned $30,000
to the county chapter to pay medical bills, primarily those costs
incurred by Stanislaus County polio victims at the hospitals in
Fresno, Merced, and San Francisco. When patients were released
for home care, the county chapter paid for any polio-related costs
too, when the families could not.
Older illustration of the muscles weakened by polio
Polio Foundation photo
Polio victim number 38 for the county in 1948 was a seven-year-old
Turlock girl, who was sent to San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital.
By the end of September, there were 2,200 polio cases for the year in
California. In northern California, there was a call for more physical
therapists to treat the vastly increased number of paralyzed polio
victims. The Modesto Bee reported at the end of 1948 that Stanislaus
County had suffered 64 new polio cases for the year, including four
deaths.
NFIP county chapter chairman, Cliff Ramos, disclosed that $26,000
was borrowed from NFIP by the chapter to pay its polio bills for
1948, the most borrowed by any California county. He urged county
residents to dig deep and contribute more to the polio cause. State
Director of Public Health, Dr. Walter Halverson, predicted a continuance of the polio epidemic in 1949. Already the state was averaging nearly 50 polio cases a week in January.
For the 1949 March of Dimes campaign, the Turlock Lions Club and
the Turlock Motorcycle Club held a motorcycle meet at the county
fairgrounds, raising $310. There were band concerts, movie theater
benefits, horsemen’s shows, and other fund-raisers staged in the
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county. Turlock Tribune reported that Turlock had collected nearly
$5,000 for the 1949 drive.
Buddy Lynn Morris
On January 28, 1949, an eight-year-old Riverbank boy contracted
polio and was sent to San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital for treatment. In March, Buddy Lynn Morris, a four-year-old from Turlock,
returned home after six-months of physical therapy. Buddy lived
with his grandmother, Mrs. Lee Lantz, because his parents were
separated and had little interest in the boy. The local newspaper
told his story: “It was a warm summer day when Buddy was playing outside, when suddenly he felt a little quiver in his left arm.
Before he knew it the quiver grew into a violent tremble that shook
his whole body, and he went screaming inside.” His doctor diagnosed it as polio and rushed him to Merced County Hospital, where
he was kept in isolation for 17 days.
Then Buddy was moved to Fresno General Hospital, where he was
given therapy, but the hospital staff concluded it could do nothing
more and released him to his grandmother, directing Stanislaus
County Hospital to provide what therapy it could. When he arrived
home, Buddy wasn’t the youngster he had been, as described by
the local newspaper: “He had been just like any other kid his age, a
romping, rollicking, ruddy-cheeked youngster full of pep and into
everything. Today he is trussed up with steel braces from his waist
up, braces that keep his arms always out-stretched, scarecrow-like,
and hold erect the little back and neck that he is no longer able to
control fully.” There was no movement in his arms and one leg had
limited mobility. He was lifeless and limp.
His grandmother faithfully took him to therapy, twice a day, but she
was convinced that specialists could do more for Buddy. She persuaded the county hospital to send the boy to San Francisco’s
Children’s Hospital. Once at the specialized hospital, he received
six weeks of treatments, returning home to his grandmother, walking awkwardly, but soon he was scampering around with his legs
mobile again. His back and right arm had improved substantially.
The doctors operated on his left arm to restore its usage.
Mrs. Lance told the newspaper, “I shiver to think of what would
have happened to Buddy if it hadn’t been for the March of Dimes.
They gave back his legs, and they gave us back our hope. There
couldn’t be a worthier cause.” The local March of Dimes chairman,
Ramos, commented, “Giving a dollar to the campaign is the cheapest kind of polio insurance you can have – and its benefits are
unlimited.”
On July 22, 1949, the county health department reported that a twoyear-old Hughson boy was the county’s 12th polio case for the
year. He was immediately sent to San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital. On August 11th, a nine-year-old Denair boy was stricken and
was also sent to San Francisco, becoming the county’s 18th case.
Polio Victims Get Treatments
In September, NFIP’s county chapter was providing care for 35
polio cases, which included some from previous years. The chapter’s
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president, Tom Moore, noted that the local fund had spent $22,928.64
for August and September. It already owed NFIP $16,737.41. He
commented that each of the 11 polio patients in the local hospital
was costing $300 a month. There were 20 home cases, costing $50
a month each, and one respiratory home patient, costing $250 a
month. Moore was forced to call for an emergency March of Dimes
drive in September to pay the county chapter’s debts. Service clubs
The polio epidemic was raging in the nation, with scenes
such as this one common at major hospitals, where iron
lungs were used in the treatment of respiratory problems.
March of Dimes photo
throughout the county eagerly responded to the call, canvassing
their communities for donations.
On November 11, 1949, the Turlock Tribune published the following editorial on polio:
Progress on Polio
For the parents of small children, it seems that summer has
come to be a period dominated by half-thought, unspoken fears
of poliomyelitis, or infantile paralysis. As summer follows summer each appears to bring more cases of the disease than the
last. There is no comfort for parents anxiously asking what they
can do to protect their children from exposure.
More progress is being made in the medical study of polio than
appearances would indicate. Authorities do not believe that the
yearly increase in the announced number of cases means the
disease is infecting more people. They think it reflects instead
the facts that more people each year seek medical care for infections, which might be polio and that diagnosis is quicker and
more sure. A new guide for health officers has been prepared by
a group of authorities on polio, based on conclusions of current
studies. It does not tell how to prevent or cure polio, but it does
contain much new knowledge.
One result of the new conclusions, drawn up this summer, should
be a narrowing of the general control measures. Authorities on
the disease no longer believe any protection is gained by closing
swimming pools, theaters, and schools, or banning public gatherings, as long as proper sanitary safeguards are used. They
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question the value of quarantine of known cases. They want to
discourage these and other common practices and ideas which
build up a panicky fear of polio.
Public awareness of the disease and recognition of its beginning
symptoms, so that medical aid can be sought quickly, has doubtlessly contributed as much as any one factor to the progress
which has been made. Further development of this awareness,
with intelligent concern but without fright and panic, may yet
provide medical science with the help which will enable it to
solve the mystery.
Iron Lungs
In January 1950, at the beginning of the 1950 March of Dimes campaign, the Modesto Bee published an article in which Dan
Marchovich, northern California NFIP representative, informed readers that there were 105 polio victims, young and adult, in the state
that were still using iron lungs. He noted that cost for some individual polio cases ran as high as $2,000 a month. Treatment for
each polio case was costing an average nationally of $8,088.50. He
urged all residents to give to the March of Dimes, to help the 41,000
Americans who became polio victims in 1949, the worst on record.
The Stanislaus Medical Society Auxiliary, with Mrs. P.C. Byington
serving as president, raised $2,100 to purchase an iron lung for the
county hospital, which was placed in the hospital’s new polio ward.
The auxiliary had another $1,000 in reserve hoping to raise more
money to purchase another iron lung.
The county’s NFIP chapter was in debt by $16,000, because it went
over budget in 1949 by $13,375. Director of the county’s 1950 March
of Dimes, Fred C. Beyer, commented that the 1949 March of Dimes
campaign netted $26,750.02 in donations, with one-half being sent
to NFIP headquarters. But, more than $23,000 had to be borrowed
from NFIP to cover the additional costs of polio treatment for county
victims. There were 43 new county cases in 1949, and 77 additional
cases that were still undergoing treatment from 1948 and prior years,
according to a Modesto Bee article. The county’s NFIP chapter
expense for 1949 was a total of $53,000. Nationally, the emergency
March of Dimes campaign in the summer of 1949 raised $8 million,
but it wasn’t enough to pay polio expenses across the nation. At
the height of the 1949 epidemic, the NFIP was spending $100,000 a
day nationally for care and treatment of polio victims. An editorial
in the local newspaper urged the public to give liberally to the 1950
polio fund commenting, “No matter how many times it has been
said, it bears repeating that in no other way can so little money be
made to do so much. . . . What makes the campaign particularly
attractive is that a large share of the money remains in the community where it is donated.”
Howard Browson, a county March of Dimes official, had arranged
for sirens, whistles, and air horns to be blown at 11 a.m. on the day
the 1950 March of Dimes campaign commenced. In support of the
drive, the Modesto Tribune published an account from Beyer telling of an eight-year-old Riverbank boy, who contracted polio on
January 23, 1949 and was regaining his functioning. The boy spent
four months at San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital and then was
released for orthopedic treatment. Beyer reported that he “still has
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a slight weakness about both hips, had a tendency to fatigue, and
it was suggested the patient be supported by a steel reinforced
abdominal corset which was done. I wish everyone could see this
boy, for he has a wonderful attitude toward life in general although
he still has to walk with the aid of crutches and cannot attend
school. A special teacher is sent to his home.” Unfortunately, the
boy’s 14-year-old brother was also stricken with polio and was sent
to San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital, but luckily his infliction
was weaker and less complicated to treat.
San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital where numerous
Stanislaus County polio patients were sent for treatment.
Hospital photo
Polio and Adults
On January 19th, a Turlock man, 24, became the county’s first polio
victim for 1950. He was rushed to San Francisco by ambulance.
According to NFIP statistics, only 3.7 percent of all polio victims
were over 15-years-of-age, but in 1947, this figure soared upward to
25 percent. On January 27th, Beyer commented in the local newspaper, “The disease usually struck older persons more severely than
children although the death rate was approximately the same for
both groups.” But when an adult was stricken, it immediately affected his wife and family, because he was unemployed and his
other responsibilities weren’t performed. In 1949, Maynard Brewster,
39, of Modesto, was completely paralyzed by polio, but with hot
pack treatments at the county hospital for two months, he regained
some of his mobility. He was married, with two children.
As noted earlier, Glover Justus was a polio victim in 1946, being
transported to San Francisco. The Turlock Tribune continued his
story in its June 22, 1950 issue. Now nearly 30 and having recovered upper body mobility, Justus opened a business in Turlock
where he sharpened lawnmower blades and various types of saws.
He had 14 months of treatments at San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital but would remain confined to a wheelchair. Part of his hospital
therapy was working with handicrafts, which provided the dexterity for his sharpening skills. Under California’s Vocational Rehabilitation Bureau, he was trained by W.H. Lockwood in Turlock to
sharpen blades. Lockwood retired, turning his equipment and shop
over to Justus, who had developed a competency to use the re-
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quired tools from his wheelchair. Today, in the 21st century, Justus
Lawnmower Shop is still in operation at the same site, a monument
to one polio victim’s determination.
In July 1950, NFIP President O’Connor announced that Americans
contributed a record $31 million to the national polio fund. New
York raised $3.7 million in donations, California $2.4 million, and
Illinois $1.8 million, the top three states. As marvelous as the donated amount was, every cent was needed to combat the polio
epidemic.
Spring 2009
In September 1950, California celebrated its 100th year as a state,
which was commemorated in part by a special postal stamp. The
March of Dimes received money from the sales of that special stamp
on the state’s admission day, September 9th. NFIP President
O’Connor reported in September that the number of new polio cases
nationally for 1950 was 15,233. If the trend continued, the total
polio cases for the year would be well below the 1949 total of 42,173
and below the 1948 total of 27,902. But there were communities in
the nation where incidents of polio raged at epidemic rates. In Utica,
NY, there were 129 polio victims during the summer, including 11
deaths, with five of those dying in a 36-hour period, being mostly
adults. The Utica hospital was treating 73 polio patients at the time
of the report.
In late October, a seven-year-old Modesto girl became Stanislaus
County’s 29 th polio victim of the year. She was sent to San
Francisco’s Children’s Hospital. The county NFIP chapter had spent
all of its money, but decided not to hold an emergency drive as it
did in 1949. The newspapers reported that California Governor Earl
Warren’s 17-year-old daughter, Nina, was stricken with polio. She
was one of Warren’s six children. Her legs were somewhat paralyzed, her temperature normal, but paralysis was spreading.
Polio patients working on crafts at Warm Springs, similar
to Glover Justus’ therapy at Children’s Hospital, SF.
The Modesto Bee carried a piece in August, describing a study
undertaken by Dr. James G. Cumming, a Washington, D.C. physician, concerning the correlation of flesh wounds to polio infliction.
In a select sampling of 59 patients, who had wounds in their mouths,
throats or skin, 54 of them contracted polio. Dr. Cumming theorized
that damaged nerve fibers allowed the poliovirus to enter the body.
He found that a “very large percentage” of fatal polio victims had
recent tonsillectomies. He hypothesized that during summer play,
wounds are opened on children’s bodies, allowing the poliovirus
to enter. Many doctors at the time were advising against tonsillectomies and other surgery during the polio season, provided they
could be avoided. Another report in the local newspaper blamed
cockroaches for spreading the poliovirus. This conclusion came
from laboratory studies undertaken at the universities of Minnesota and North Dakota.
County Hospital’s Polio Ward
The county’s 21st polio victim for 1950 was a 25-year-old man from
Modesto, developing polio on August 20th and rushed to San Francisco. The Stanislaus County Hospital built a new polio ward, but it
couldn’t open because of a shortage of specialized staff. Two more
nurses were needed to provide 24-hour care, and a physiotherapist
was required as well. NFIP provided the funds for the purchase of
the ward’s equipment, being supplemented by the Stanislaus Medical Society Auxiliary, with its donation of two new iron lungs. To
promote the new ward, a scale model was built of it, which had a
sign proclaiming, “Nurses Still Badly Needed.” Until the ward
opened, county polio cases were still expedited to San Francisco.
By November 1950, the county had 31 new polio cases for the year.
Thomas Floyd, the county’s NFIP treasurer, announced that $25,000
was needed by the chapter to pay $17,800 in unpaid bills and $6,000
to treat current patients. Never before had California had such a
large number of hospitalized polio patients, reported the Modesto
Bee.
Mr. and Mrs. T.R. Brown of Hughson, parents of four-year-old
Douglas Brown, received the best Christmas present ever, when
San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital released Douglas a few days
before Christmas. He was stricken with polio in September 1949,
spending two weeks in isolation and then being moved to other
wards as his recovery progressed. The hospital had radios, televisions, and specially designed bicycles that the youngster rode. At
the time of release from the hospital, Douglas was walking some
and using his arms with some limitation. His parents were given
instructions to continue his therapy of exercise and bathing at
home. He was expected to recover fully, according to the Turlock
Tribune.
Three-Year Polio Epidemic
The county had 38 new polio cases for 1950, with California having
over 2,100, and the nation 33,334. It was the second worst polio
year on record. For a period of three years, the U.S. polio toll was
100,000 cases, and because of the epidemic, NFIP was $5 million in
debt. Preparing for the 1951 March of Dimes campaign in January,
the county’s NFIP chapter chairman, Art Wylie, commented:
We [Stanislaus County] have had three successive years of severe polio epidemics in which more than 130 men, women, and
children have been attacked by this crippling disease. . . . Four
out of five people stricken by polio need and receive help from
the March of Dimes. . . . Polio is one of the costliest of all
diseases. Patient aftercare lasts for months and frequently years.
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NFIP’s national goal for the 1951 March of Dimes drive was $50
million. L.M. Giannini, California’s NFIP chairman stated, “It cannot
be too strongly emphasized that the National Foundation assists,
where needed, every infantile paralysis patient in the land to obtain
the best available medical treatment and care.”
In January 1951, L.C. Burt became the county’s March of Dimes
director. He announced in the Modesto Tribune that the 1951 campaign would run from January 15th through 31st, having the slogan
“Lend Me a Hand,” and would be the most intensive one yet.
Inaugurating the drive, Burt commented:
Last year was the third successive year of unusually high
polio incidence, with the result that our backlog of cases
is steadily increasing. We must continue to help all those
who need assistance and at the same time press forward
our research program aimed at finding a means for preventing polio. It is a double-barreled job, and we will need
a lot of help from everyone.
Nearly all of the county’s service clubs were involved in the March
of Dimes drive, with the junior chambers of commerce as chief
sponsors and coordinators in various communities. These were
some of the fundraising activities sponsored by local organizations: Modesto’s Omega Nu held a benefit party at Playland in
Modesto; Modesto’s Women’s Improvement Club held a card party,
with the proceeds going to the polio drive; The Moss Chapter of
D.A.R. provided $50 to the cause; Women of Moose, Modesto
Chapter 479, met to watch the film, “Mothers March on Polio,” and
to contribute towards the polio fund; and Hughson community
groups organized a dance, held at the IOOF Hall, with the contributions going to the March of Dimes.
In January, coin containers, shaped like miniature iron lungs, were
placed in stores, while coin cards were mailed to the public. On
February 1st, Turlock’s March of Dimes chairman announced in the
Turlock Tribune that the city’s contributions had reached $2,000,
with nearly $250 coming from city parking meters and $48.50 raised
by children at Mitchell Elementary School. T.P. Brown, Hughson’s
campaign chairman, declared that the community had raised $1,000
for the polio cause, with $365 coming from mailed-in contributions.
Community Support
On April 20th, March of Dimes county chairman, Burt, announced
that $37,434.69 had been collected during the 1951 March of Dimes
drive, which was $7,000 more than in 1950. The Modesto Tribune
reported that thirteen county communities were involved in the
campaign, listing the proceeds collected by the sponsoring organizations: Ceres Lions Club, $1,528.14; Crows Landing Lions Club,
$408.79; Empire Lions, $511.32; Denair Lions Club, $313.80; Hughson
Lions Club, $1,305.82; KTRB radio station, under Bill Bates,
$2,735.63; Modesto Junior Chamber of Commerce, $19,823.33;
Newman Exchange Club, $1,083.70; Oakdale Lions Club, $1,523.74;
Patterson Lions Club, $2,450.82; Riverbank Lions Club, $741.25;
Salida Lions Club, $1,445.20; Turlock Eagles, $5,339.50; and
Waterford Lions Club, $959.55.
Spring 2009
The Turlock Tribune reported on July 12th that Mary Chaplin, fouryear-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Chaplin of Denair, was diagnosed with polio and fortunately was responding well to treatments at the local hospital. Her father was an Army sergeant serving in Korea at the time. Tragic news though was published on
August 23rd that polio had taken the life of five-year-old Donna
Lucille Bingham, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Bingham. The
Iron lung, a dreaded monster but a lifesaver.
family had lived in Turlock for a number of years, having just moved
to Stockton at the time of their daughter’s death.
New technologies were developing in the fight against polio. Dr.
M. Garciagodoy, a Juarez physician, invented an improved iron
lung, according to a newspaper report, that provided a patient with
normal breathing. A human’s respiratory process requires less time
to inhale than exhale. The iron lungs in use balanced the time equally,
whereas Dr. Garciagodoy’s iron lung provided normal breathing
periods. Also, his iron lung came with a device to record the electric
wave lengths from the brain, informing attendants of the patient’s
mental and emotional activities during therapies. The price tag was
$15,000 for the prototype. Dr. Garciagodoy was scheduled to demonstrate his iron lung at the American Medical Association convention in New York.
Handicapped and Ingenuity
In 1927, when Wayne R. Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Royal
Johnson of Turlock, was five-years-old, he contracted polio, which
seriously impaired his right arm, becoming a lifelong disability. Ignoring the handicap, Wayne pursued his avid interest in electronics. In a Turlock Tribune article, his aunt, Mrs. Elmer Nelson, commented, “In fact, he lived, ate, and slept on the subject ever since
he was a boy, devouring every book on electronics that came along.”
After graduating from Turlock High School, he attended an electronics school in San Francisco. He then went to work as a technical engineer for Los Angeles radio station KFI. He and another
engineer collaborated on an electronic project, requiring Wayne to
take a two-year leave of absence from his job. The two developed a
motion picture camera that recorded images and sound on magnetic tape. They created the camera at the electronic laboratories of
Bing Crosby Enterprises. Their invention was bulky, but it was a
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step towards a new way of recording imaging data. Wayne’s story
was an inspiring one in that a polio victim hampered by disability,
overcame his handicap to pursue his interest successfully.
On December 7, 1951, the Modesto Tribune reported that Modesto’s
20-30 Club had donated two television sets to the polio ward at
Stanislaus County Hospital, which were installed by two Modesto
television stores, Maddux and Van Sandt. The sets were Christmas
presents to the children receiving treatments for polio at the hospital.
The 1952 March of
Dimes campaign
was inaugurated in
January by county
chairman, Dr. Frank
Jones, who was a
county schools
consultant
for
health, physical
education, and recreation. The junior
chambers of commerce were again
the principal sponsors and coordinators of the drive,
which was schedModesto Tribune cartoon advertising uled for was the full
the Mothers’ March on Polio night.
month of January.
The slogan was “This Fight Is Yours,” which was printed on 40,000
March of Dimes’ coin cards mailed countywide and printed on
posters hanging from March of Dimes’ “wishing wells,” found at
street corners in the local communities. Governor Warren and his
daughter, Nina, who had fully recovered from polio, sponsored the
statewide March of Dimes campaign, with full media coverage, telling the public how important their contributions were in the defeat
of polio.
Polio Epidemic Soars
The county had a record high of 88 new polio victims for 1951, from
ages two months to 61-years-of-age, with 75 percent being under
21-years-of-age. Remarkably, San Francisco, with its sizeable population, had less polio cases than Stanislaus County. The county
NFIP chapter was inundated with bills from the increased number
of cases and cases from previous years. It was costing the chapter
75 percent of its funds for patient care, an average of $9 an hour per
day, according to chapter treasurer, Tom Floyd. Polio expenses at
the County hospital were $60 per day. One case had cost the county
chapter $7,200. In 1951, a total of $80,000 was spent by the county
chapter, with NFIP loaning it $39,800 in emergency funds. The county
chapter collected $37,431 in its 1951 March of Dimes drive, which
was less than half the amount needed to pay its bills.
Turlock once again used its parking meters to collect dimes for the
polio fight. The 1952 March of Dimes campaign chairman for Turlock,
Spring 2009
Cliff Ramos, told the public, “It’s a handy way in which to contribute. Next time you park your car and dig into your pocket or purse
to find parking change, deposit your dimes, too.” The T.I.D. customers of nearly 15,000 were sent coin cards, and the Music-Cadets
and June Jane Ripley School of Dance gave benefit performances
to raise money, noted the Turlock Tribune.
Mothers’ March on Polio
In the evening of February 1st, Modesto staged a “Mothers’ March
on Polio,” where residents turned on their porch lights from 7 to 8
p.m., signaling they wanted to contribute money. The mothers in
the march collected donations from those houses, which added up
to $7,614.65 for one night’s effort. Modesto Elks Lodge provided
the county hospital with an iron lung, adding to the two already
there. Beta Sigma Phi, a women’s business organization, contributed a Hubbard Tank for water therapy. Car enthusiasts held a
benefit in March, sponsored by Modesto Century Toppers. It was
the Toppers’ third annual auto show of unique cars, some costing
up to $200,000. A percentage of the proceeds went to the polio
drive.
The 1952 March of Dimes drive netted a total of $43,572.24, nearly
$6,000 more than 1951. These were the totals by communities: Ceres,
$1,655.73; Crows Landing, $499.76; Denair, $218.40; Empire, $921.11;
Hughson, $799.11; Modesto, $25,552.83; Newman, $1,123.18;
Oakdale, $2,286.72; Patterson, $2,497.14; Riverbank, $587.12; Turlock,
$5,984.21; Waterford-Hickman, $1,221.93; and radio station KTRB
raised $2,792.38.
Modesto Girl Scouts, ages 7 to 11, presented a doll they had dressed,
to Denair polio victim, Mary Chaplin, 4, who contracted polio on
July 12, 1951. Her father was now home from Korea, residing with
his wife and daughter. Beverly Ann Ashton, 15, daughter of L.E.
Ashton, was stricken with polio on July 13, 1951, returned home
with some weakness in her right shoulder and leg. Edna Dunnebeck,
Stanislaus County’s registered physical therapist, provided Beverly
with treatments, anticipating full recovery. In March 1952, the
county’s NFIP chapter sponsored a five-day course on the care of
polio patients for local registered nurses at the county hospital.
In September, Army Lieutenant M. Dale Harmon, son of Mr. and
Mrs. M.L. Harmon, Denair, was stricken with polio while stationed
at Castle Air Force Base. He was the victim of bulbar polio, the most
dangerous type, and was immediately transferred to Letterman
Hospital in San Francisco, reported the Turlock Tribune.
The county was inflicted in 1952 with 50 new polio cases, far below
the 88 cases of 1951. The nation though had 55,000 new polio
victims for the year, which was double the national average, and
one third more than the previous worst year of 1949. The Modesto
Tribune announced that the county chapter spent nearly $50,000
in 1952, borrowing $26,200 from the NFIP. It was still repaying NFIP
for funds borrowed in 1951.
In January 1953, the March of Dimes campaign commenced, with
Paul Hiller serving as the drive’s county chairman. He urged the
public to:
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Give generously, so that we may provide iron lungs, braces,
physiotherapy, and medical attention to those stricken with
polio last year, and to those who may fall prey to polio this
year. . . . Last year great progress was made toward our goal, the
conquest of polio. The experimental inoculations carried out in
Houston, Texas, were under the auspices of NFIP as well as
those in Provo, Utah. . . . We see the day coming when “polio
season” will be a thing of the past.
Polio Research
NFIP spent more than $18 million since 1938 on polio research, with
the major goal of producing a vaccine to eradicate polio. While
work continued on a vaccine, a serum, known
as gamma globulin, was developed and administered to select groups of people, providing
some polio immunity. Gamma globulin came from
donated blood, which contained antibodies to
fight off diseases. It was administered to children during the 1916 polio epidemic in New
York City, with some positive results. Military
personnel being deployed overseas were given
the serum. Gamma globulin continued to be
researched and produced, but Stanislaus
County was always in short supply.
On January 16, 1953, president-elect Dwight D.
Eisenhower asked the public to give liberally
to the polio fund. He appeared in a newspaper
picture with two sisters, who had contracted
polio. Eisenhower commented, “It’s hard to believe that these are the same little girls whose
pictures are on the March of Dimes poster. Now
they’re completely recovered from polio, thanks
to the generosity of the American people.” On
February 3rd, the Modesto Mothers’ March on
Polio again took place, collecting donations
from residents who turned on their porch lights.
Monica, for special treatment. In California, there were only two
hospitals that could provide the care and treatment Amos needed.
The Vallejo hospital was filled, requiring Amos to be transported to
Santa Monica, which necessitated special handling, because he
needed to remain in an iron lung.
May Transfer Company of Modesto, owned by Bill Falger, supplied a moving van to carry Amos, which was specially equipped
for the trip. The move took place on May 7, 1953, with the California
Highway Patrol escorting the van to San Monica. Dr. Kenneth Orr
and nurse, Elizabeth Becconsall, from the county hospital were
aboard the van with Amos, monitoring his vital signs. NFIP paid for
the gasoline and wages of those accompanying him. It was a major
undertaking, which serves as an example of the
extent Stanislaus County’s NFIP chapter took to
care for its polio patients.
In July 1953, NFIP loaned $29,000 to the
Stanislaus County chapter. The chapter had sent
$27,000 to NFIP headquarters in March from its
March of Dimes donations. The chapter then
borrowed back the $27,000, plus $2,000 more.
Lew Graham, 1953 chapter chairman, commented
in the Modesto Tribune, “We have in Stanislaus
County a clear example of how a polio outbreak
could quickly exhaust the resources of a chapter.”
Polio victim, Jimmie Blakely, and
county March of Dimes Chairman
Fred Beyer, asking the public to
pitch in their coins for the January
1950 campaign.
Modesto Tribune photo
County March of Dimes chairman, Hillar, reported in the Modesto Tribune on March 27th that the 1953 March
of Dimes campaign collected $54,896.46, which was $10,000 more
than in 1952. Every community in the county had exceeded its
donation of the previous year, with these being the final amounts:
Ceres, $2,159.95; Crows Landing, $800; Denair, $319.26; Empire,
$1,059.03; Hughson, $803.18; Modesto, $29,835.62; Newman,
$2,113.71; Oakdale, $3,400.00; Patterson, $3,183.33; Riverbank,
$810.94; Salida, $1,350.00; and Turlock, $7,600.89.
Amos Johansan, Jr.
In late 1952, Amos Johansan, Jr., 25, native of Stanislaus County,
was completely paralyzed by polio. He was married and had two
young children. At first it was thought his illness was strep throat,
but it soon was diagnosed as polio. He had been operating his
father’s grocery store on Roseburg Avenue in Modesto, because
his father had suffered an infectious disease, causing a leg to be
amputated. Amos spent six months in an iron lung at the county
hospital, before being transported to Kabat-Kaiser Institute in Santa
Spring 2009
In late September, Clarence Borges, 27, of
Turlock, married and father of two, contracted a
major case of polio, requiring immediate placement in an iron lung at the county hospital.
Borges worked for Turlock’s Western Auto store,
where a collection was taken to help his family.
Basil Martin of Turlock’s Boys’ Store and Henry
Johnson of Jewel Dress Shop, coordinated a
Turlock drive to collect further donations for the
family.
Vaccine and Gamma Globulin
The 1954 county March of Dimes campaign commenced in January,
with the mailing of 45,000 coin cards to residents. The hope was to
exceed the county’s 1953 campaign’s total of $54,896.46. NFIP implemented a new polio prevention program that cost $26 million. The
program was designed to increase gamma globulin supplies and to
fund the production of the Salk vaccine for its national field study.
One-third of the county chapter’s 1954 March of Dimes donations
went towards this program. The chapter spent $62,000 in 1953 for
its polio victims, and now in January 1954, it continued treating 74
polio patients.
To spur on the 1954 March of Dimes campaign, the Modesto Tribune provided an article in its January 19th issue, concerning the
recovery progress of Ronald Hill, 13, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Hill
of Orangeburg Avenue in Modesto. He contracted polio in 1941
when he was one-years-old, leaving his left leg severely crippled.
His father was in the military at the time, and because of that and
transportation limitations of World War II, Ronald did not receive
———————— 87 ————————
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the needed care and treatment. In 1947, he was admitted to San
Francisco’s Children’s Hospital for extensive therapy, including
special braces. His withered left leg was two inches shorter than his
right one, requiring surgery to stop the growth of the right leg to
allow the left leg to catch up. He had surgery first on his left foot at
Children’s Hospital in 1950, and then in 1952, further surgery on his
left leg. At 13, his left leg was just three-fourths of an inch shorter
than the right one. He returned to the hospital every six months for
examinations, but now he could play basketball and football, wearing a special brace on his left leg and inserts in his left shoe. All of
his medical expenses were paid by NFIP.
In July 1954, NFIP President O’Connor called for an emergency
March of Dimes campaign for August. Americans had contributed
$55 million in the January drive, but because of the new prevention
program, NFIP needed $20 million in additional funds to meet its
needs. Charles M. Sypolt, county’s NFIP chapter chairman, informed
the public that the chapter was treating 141 polio victims.
In July, Mrs. Howard J. Clos represented the county’s NFIP chapter
at a workshop in San Francisco, where O’Connor spoke about the
current status of the polio epidemic. When she returned, Mrs. Clos
relayed the following information from the workshop in the local
newspaper. She commented that thus far for the year, polio cases
were up 25 percent from 1952, which was the worst year on record,
having 57,628 cases nationwide. The Salk vaccine was undergoing
a nationwide field trial, with the results scheduled for announcement in April 1955. Gamma globulin was in low supply, with more
being manufactured. She also remarked that polio now was being
diagnosed immediately, allowing for quicker treatment of paralysis,
and non-paralytic victims were being more commonly treated at
local hospitals and at home.
In August, the county’s NFIP chapter chairman, Sypolt, announced
to the public that the county chapter requested $41,000 in an emergency loan from NFIP, but the foundation could only provide
$15,000. NFIP’s coffers were empty after funding the Salk vaccine
field test and emergency production of gamma globulin, at a combined cost of $26.5 million. Sypolt commented that NFIP was also
funding “continued research, the training of doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and other professional workers, improved treatment
techniques, medical and community services, and administrative
costs of operating 3,100 chapters, state offices and national headquarters.”
The Mothers’ March on Polio was broadened to include other communities in the county, during the emergency drive in August.
Turlock collected $1,522.22 in one night and Newman $435. The
polio epidemic was raging, with the county already having 57 new
polio cases for the year on September 2nd. Since April, the state had
2,133 new polio victims, including 31 deaths. Eighty-two percent of
those cases came from just 12 California counties: Los Angeles
with 904; Contra Costa 150; Alameda 102; Orange 100; Kern 82; San
Diego 81; Fresno 62; San Mateo 58; Santa Clara 57; Stanislaus 57;
San Bernardino 52; and Sacramento 47.
In December 1954, the county hospital’s new polio isolation ward
Spring 2009
was finished, with the public invited to an open house. The medical staff presented demonstrations on the diagnosis and treatment
of acute polio cases. The wing had five wards, containing a total of
26 beds to handle the polio emergencies. The iron lungs were
equipped with standby generators to produce emergency electricity.
Salk Vaccine
The progress of the Salk vaccine held everyone’s attention. By
early 1955, supplies of the vaccine were stockpiled for use, but the
holdup was the final report on the 1954 field trial, which was scheduled to be presented in April. Stanislaus County Health Department had arranged with the schools in the county to inoculate first
and second graders, the most contagious age. At first a three-shot
program was planned,
but later it was
changed to a twoshot effort, because
of a money shortage
to manufacture vaccine for Type III polio.
There were three
types of polioviruses.
Type I was the most
common of the three,
which was mostly
likely to cause paralysis and epidemics.
Type II was the mildest one, lacking
symptoms, but it still
caused paralysis and
Salk vaccine
death. Type III was
Polio Foundation photo
the least common poliovirus, fortunately, because it was often fatal. It was referred to as
bulbar polio, because it struck the brain stem, causing paralysis of
the diaphragm, stopping the breathing process, resulting in death.
Type III victims were normally candidates for iron lungs. National
health officials wanted to provide the fullest protection against the
poliovirus; consequently, vaccine for all three types was the goal.
In the Salk vaccination program, the first shot injected a mild form
of Type I poliovirus, followed by a second shot, two to four weeks
later, that carried a mild form of Type II poliovirus. The interim
between the two shots allowed the body to produce the needed
antibodies, while maintaining a person’s strength. The third shot
contained a mild form of Type III poliovirus, which was given a
month or so after the second inoculation. Because it was expensive
to produce vaccine for all three poliovirus types, NFIP decided to
concentrate on I and II polioviruses in 1955 and then Type III in
1956. The polio vaccine was created from polioviruses grown in
cultures made from monkey kidney tissue. It was then treated with
formaldehyde and methanol to insure safety. The batches of vaccine were pre-tested on monkeys before being administered to humans. The process was complicated, expensive, and monitored with
———————— 88 ————————
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extreme care.
On April 12, 1955, Dr. Thomas Francis, Jr. of the University of Michigan, filed his final report on the Salk vaccination field trial, in which
two million children were inoculated. He found it a success, with up
to 90 percent prevention rate, a rate comparable to vaccines already
administered for smallpox, tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough.
Alameda County was involved in the field study, resulting in a
prevention rate of 100 percent for 3,633 children vaccinated, which
was heartening to neighboring Stanislaus County citizens.
Dr. Francis’ announcement energized the entire nation, because
now the vaccination of the nation’s 45 million children could begin.
NFIP spent $9 million to manufacture the vaccine, which now was
provided freely to the public. Physicians administering the vaccine
at the county’s schools were volunteers, but if parents wanted
their children vaccinated by their personal physician, the vaccine
was free, but the physician might charge of fee of $2 to administer
the shot. Pregnant women were advised to have the vaccinations.
The vaccination program was scheduled to begin at the county’s
schools on April 27th, according to program chairman, Paul M. Hillar.
Parents were obligated to sign permission forms, allowing the vaccination to be administered to their children. The beginning date
was revised some, with the second inoculation coming on May
23rd. The third vaccination was given in 1956.
In late July, the results of the vaccination program began pouring
in. Dr. M.H. Merrill, California State Health Director, announced
that the state had 388 polio cases since April 1st, compared to 629 in
1954. In August, President Dr. Dwight H. Murray of the American
Medical Association stated that polio cases were down one-third
from the previous year. Other figures rolled in. It was found that
there was an average of 3.2 cases of paralytic polio among 100,000
vaccinated children, while for unvaccinated children, there were
10.9 cases.
The Fight Goes On
Because of the decrease in polio cases, NFIP announced that most
all of its chapters were operating in the black. This was not true for
the Stanislaus County chapter though. It had to resort to borrowing $37,950 from NFIP in late August. John Tatoyan, Stanislaus
County chapter’s president, commented in the Modesto Tribune,
“The kind of burden the Stanislaus County chapter has had to
assume may fall as heavily on another community next year. What
is at stake is precious and irreplaceable, no matter where polio
strikes. The promise of the Salk vaccine is bright, but the full realization of that promise is for the future. As we in Stanislaus County
know only too well, polio isn’t licked yet.”
In late December, Tatoyan reported that the county was treating 72
polio cases, for all to give generously to the 1956 March of Dimes
campaign in January. Gerald Underwood, the county’s 1956 March
of Dimes director, stated:
The Salk polio vaccine marks a magnificent victory over a virus,
but the disease caused by the virus is not licked yet. . . . That
can happen only when everybody has been given the protection
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it affords, and when we have rebuilt lives of tens of thousands
for whom the vaccine has come too late. But scientists are seeking ways of improving it still further, he said, and funds must be
provided for this continuing research. In addition, money is
needed to continue the work of training doctors, nurses, therapists, and other professional workers for both research and
patient care.
The county began 1956 with disappointment when Madelynne Rose
Thomas, 18 months, daughter of Richard and Nancy Thomas, contracted polio on January 3rd, being treated at the county hospital,
as reported in the Modesto Bee. It was but a week later when
Madelynne’s mother, Nancy, also was inflicted with polio. She spent
18 days in an iron lung before she died, leaving a husband and their
two very young children. She and her husband had been active in
the March of Dimes campaigns.
In July, the federal government decided it now wanted a leadership
role in the polio fight, asking NFIP to join them as a partner. NFIP
President O’Connor rejected the plan, saying March of Dimes had
been very successful since it began, and NFIP’s procedure of funding research, vaccine, and treatment was steadfast. He commented
in a Modesto Tribune article, “The American people understood
and participated – 80,000,000 strong – in the March of Dimes last
January, with the result that preliminary audits show they gave
more than $51,000,000. It seems unsound to abandon such a wellestablished method before polio has been fully conquered.”
In September 1956, the county had its 17th polio victim for the year,
which was one less than a year before at the same time. The recent
victim was a 15-year-old Riverbank girl, who had not been vaccinated. In October, it was announced by NFIP that an ample supply
of Salk vaccine was available, recommending that everyone 45 years
and younger be inoculated by a family physician.
In February 1957, Modesto High School students, who had not
been inoculated were given the vaccinations. Of the 1,300 students
at the school, 200 had been vaccinated previously. On February
22nd, two brothers, ages four and seven, were inflicted with polio
and being treated at the county hospital. Neither boy had been
vaccinated. In March, the California State Legislature allocated $3
million to pay for polio vaccine, which was enough vaccine to
inject 20,500 state residents with two injections. The state requested
that everyone under 40 be vaccinated.
In September 1957, the county’s NFIP chapter had 150 polio patients, who were still receiving treatments, which had cost $50,000
for the year through September. NFIP needed to loan the chapter
$4,450. In 1962, the Sabin vaccine replaced Salk vaccine, because it
was a lifelong polio preventive and easier to administer in sugar
cubes and nose drops. Incidents of polio dwindled and the need
for treatments as well. By the end of the decade, the polio era was
quickly fading away, thanks to the efforts of Franklin Roosevelt,
Basil O’Connor, NFIP, Dr. Salk, Dr. Sabin, and the millions of volunteers, who served to eliminate dreaded contagion.
Article written by Robert LeRoy Santos
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The Nature of Polio
Its Characteristics and History
P
oliomyelitis, or infantile paralysis, once referred to as HeineMedin’s Disease, “a debility of the lower extremities,” is an intestinal infection that causes paralysis in humans and occasionally
death. The word originates from two Greek words, “polios,” which
means gray, and “myelo,” which means marrow, being a description
of the inside of a polio victim’s spinal cord, gray marrow, after being
ravaged by the disease. The suffix “itis” is commonly used in medical terms to signify an infection. Today, the word poliomyelitis is
rarely used, having been shortened to “polio” after World War II,
during the national epidemic, by newspaper editors wanting to
save newsprint. One will notice also in polio related publications
that “polio virus” is spelled “poliovirus,” as one word instead of
two.
Poliovirus Characteristics
Since poliovirus causes an intestinal infection, it is found in discharged human fecal wastes. It is through unclean hands, after
contact with discharged wastes, directly or indirectly, that the virus
is transferred to others, usually through commonly handled objects. Also, poliovirus may be transported by food and water that
has been contaminated by the virus, entering the human body
through the mouth or nose.
Poliovirus cannot survive on its own, thereby attaching itself to
living cells. It proliferates in human intestines, which causes an
infection. Poliovirus is infinitesimal in size, being about one-millionth of an inch in diameter. It is estimated that 25 million polioviruses can fit on the head of a pin; consequently, to study the virus,
electron microscopes or similar instruments having high magnification must be used.
Once the poliovirus enters the blood stream, it then attacks the
central nervous system, destroying motor neurons, causing muscle
weakness and various types of paralysis, most commonly in the
legs. Death is caused when the poliovirus infects the brain stem,
immobilizing respiratory muscles, halting the victim’s breathing.
This form of polio is known as “bulbar polio,” which strikes a small
fraction of people.
Many humans have been inflicted with a mild form of polio, normally without debilitating results. This mild infliction though allows victims to resist later poliovirus attacks, through newly created antibodies stored in their bodies. Typically, there is no awareness that a mild form of poliovirus is present, primarily because no
symptoms exist, or there might be symptoms common to other diseases, such as a headache, sore throat, upset stomach, and fever. If
one has a leg that is shorter than the other, noticeable by a slight
limp or uneven wearing of a shoe heel, these are signs that the
person may have contracted a mild form of the virus.
Polio Victims
By early twentieth century, the medical field was able to identify
polio more assuredly, formulating basic preventive measures for
the public, such as scrubbed houses, sanitized household objects,
especially dishes and eating utensils, and clean bodies and hair.
Some debated whether or not to shade out sunlight entering a
house, not knowing if heat caused the virus to spread. Some theorized that windows needed to be shut, disallowing the poliovirus to
enter the domain, even during hot summers. Of course, insects and
rodents were eliminated where possible, being known disease
spreaders, but even pets were destroyed in thousands, most notably cats.
Polio was a baffling disease, in that the majority of polio victims
lived in sanitized environments rather than in communities where
there was squalor. Why were those living in sanitized environments contracting polio? Weren’t methods of sanitation and cleanliness working? It was then theorized that since those living in
sanitized environments did not come into daily contact with common germs, their immune systems hadn’t developed the needed
antibodies to stave off attacks by disease.
But this thinking didn’t hamper the practice of cleanliness in American communities. On the contrary, cleanliness and sanitation grew
in popularity as the nation progressed through the twentieth century. Modern medicine promoted sterility, and modern education
taught disease awareness. The nation’s rising standard of living
provided more materialism, a wealthier middle class, and the desire
to care for possessions. At the same time, people were moving from
the cities to suburbia, especially after World War II, where the
environment was healthier. Ironically, this more wholesome living
style encouraged the spread of polio, because it hampered natural
immunization. This contributed largely to the polio epidemic of the
late 1940s and early 1950s.
In the hearts and minds of most, polio was an evil disease, because
it struck the helpless in society, primarily infants and young children. It was a scary disease as well, in that it attacked at random,
without warning. It paralyzed legs, arms, and even respiratory
muscles, leaving a trail of ungainly steel braces, claustrophobic
iron lungs, and too many tiny caskets. Polio traumatized its victims
and their loved ones. It was a devastating disease, a physiological
and psychological terror.
Polio has a similarity with childhood diseases, because it inflicts
those with little immunity. It is analogous to the destruction of
native peoples when Europeans transported their diseases to foreign populations. Boys were inflicted the most by polio, because
they fatigued their bodies with active physical play, especially during the warm summer months. With their bodies depleted, resistance to fight disease was down. Adults weren’t left unscathed
though. If they hadn’t contracted a mild form of polio when they
were young, then they were just as susceptible to poliovirus as
children. Franklin Roosevelt found this out, being struck with polio
at the age of 39 in 1921.
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President Roosevelt
Roosevelt was the most renowned and revered polio victim. He
grew up in a protected environment that kept him from common
immunization. It didn’t seem logical at first when he was inflicted
with polio, because he was so robust and energetic, but he created
the circumstances that led to the contraction of the disease.
In the summer 1921, Roosevelt needed rest. He was mentally and
physically drained from the previous year’s campaigning as the
Democratic vice presidential candidate. There were a number of
political issues on his mind, plus he had marital problems because
of his infidelity. The family had a pleasant summer retreat on
Campobello Island, New Brunswick, just a few hundred yards from
Famous photo of FDR, with polio companions in a swimming pool at Warm Springs in 1930. FDR Library photo
the United States. While traveling there for a summer of rest, he
visited a Boy Scouts jamboree at Bear Mountain, NY. Roosevelt
was a director for the Boy Scouts for Greater New York and relished
any opportunity to interact with the youngsters. It is thought that
he contracted the poliovirus during that visit.
Roosevelt spent August at Campobello, swimming, boating, and
picnicking with his family, in his usual vigorous fashion. In early
September, he took the family sailing for a day, which was interrupted when he assisted in extinguishing a brush fire on a neighboring island. He then raced his children on foot across two small
islands, swimming in between through icy cold water. Once back at
his retreat, he sat in a wet bathing suit for hours, reading newspapers and answering his mail. He began to chill and his muscles
ached. The next morning, he had a fever and his left leg was slightly
paralyzed. Soon both legs were paralyzed. An early medical diagnosis labeled it fatigue, but a polio specialist was called in, who
found it to be polio. He took hot baths, and Eleanor acted as his
nurse, applying treatments as the doctor directed. On September
21, 1921, his condition was announced to a shocked public and
friends.
Always the activist, Roosevelt undertook various types of therapy.
In October 1924, he visited Warm Springs, GA, finding that warm
water therapy helped his condition. He negotiated a purchase of
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the small warm springs resort, refurbishing it to specifically benefit
polio victims. In 1926, he founded the Warm Springs Foundation,
which would become the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP). NFIP paid the medical bills for all polio victims across
the nation, who needed financial assistance, from the time the person was inflicted with the virus through full recovery. The foundation paid for all the research that eventually resulted in the mass
production of polio vaccines, and it paid for the manufacturing of
the vaccines as well. The government was never involved in the
polio fight. Everything was accomplished by NFIP, a masterful and
colossal accomplishment.
Polio History
The first historical evidence of polio is found carved in an Egyptian
stele, or stone tablet, from about 1400 BC, that depicts a young
priest with a shortened and withered leg. Medical historians attributed his malady to polio and suggest the disease may be as old as
humankind. The ancient physicians, Hippocrates (Greece, circa 400
BC) and Galen (Rome, circa
150 AD), wrote about clubfeet and polio-like diseases
in their discourses. In the
Middle Ages, there were
reports of paralyzed children, but the malaise was
not identified specifically
as yet.
It is known that Scottish
novelist and poet, Sir
Walter Scott, contracted
polio in the 1770s as a
youngster, crippling his
right leg, a lifelong handicap. He was sent to his
grandparents’ farm to recuperate, where he observed
the surrounding scenery,
Egyptian stele showing a young
writing about the bucolic
priest with shortened and withlandscape in his absorbing
ered leg, circa 1400 BC.
fiction. In 1789, British surMarch of Dimes photo
geon-apothecary, Michael
Underwood, described polio in his inscriptions, calling it “a debility of the lower extremities.”
In the 1800s there were reports of polio in western Europe, and in
particular, the British village of Nottinghamshire. During this same
period, polio struck in Louisiana, according to newspaper accounts,
but the earliest recorded polio epidemic occurred on the island of
St. Helena, circa 1830, the island where Napoleon died in 1821.
Jacob von Heine, a German physician, published a 78-page monograph in 1840, describing the characteristics of polio, and its association with the spinal cord. He called the disease “infantile spinal
paralysis,” attributing it to teething and poor bowel functioning.
Because of its sub-microscopic nature, studying the virus had to
wait until advanced microscopes were developed, especially the
electronic microscope. Historical records note that there were size-
———————— 91 ————————
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able outbreaks of polio in Europe, during the second half of the 19th
century. In the 1890s, Swedish physician, Karl Oskar Medin, studied polio, during an epidemic in his country, with fellow Swedish
physician, Ivar Wickman, who labeled the condition as Heine-Medin
Disease.
weight plastic, was manufactured and used by some in the U.S. If
iron lungs weren’t available, tracheotomies were performed, in which
a tube was inserted in the incision, providing oxygen. This procedure became necessary in the 1952 polio epidemic that struck Europe.
In 1894, polio struck 123 in the community of Rutland, VT, where 50
were paralyzed and 18 died. Of the 123, it inflicted 84 boys under
seven-years-old. In 1908, Austrian physician, Dr. Karl Landsteiner,
experimented with the contagious nature of polio. He injected a
monkey with a preparation from a polio infected human spinal cord.
The monkey contracted polio, transferring it to another monkey.
For the next 50 years, over one-half million monkeys were sacrificed
in polio research, with thousands being used in the preparation of
polio vaccines.
Sister Kenny
Australian, Elizabeth Kenny, used psychotherapy with polio victims in the rehabilitation process. During World War I, she served
on troop transports bringing wounded soldiers home. For her work,
she was awarded the Australian rank of “Sister,” a title she kept the
rest of her life. After the war, she opened a clinic for polio and
cerebral palsy victims,
providing hot baths, hot
wrappings, massages,
and exercises, but most
of all she used psychotherapy to recondition
the mind to think positively and to direct limbs
to function once again.
She did this through a series of mental exercises to
strengthen the victim’s
will and mental outlook.
In 1907, polio struck New York City leaving over 2,000 cases, and
there were outbreaks in 1910-1914 in Massachusetts, Minnesota,
Nebraska, Ohio, and Vermont. John D. Rockefeller established the
Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research in 1913, installing Simon
Flexner as its director, who researched polio for over 40 years. He
and his colleagues were considered the first to view polioviruses
under a microscope, describing them as “innumerable bright dancing points, devoid of definite size and form.”
In 1916, a massive polio epidemic struck New York City, primarily
Brooklyn, where there were 8,900 cases, including an astonishing
2,400 deaths. Eighty percent of the cases were children under sixyears-old. Sanitation techniques and quarantining were ineffective
in controlling the disease. Many blamed cats, thereby causing the
destruction of 72,000 felines in the city. Some fled the city to stay
with friends and relatives until the epidemic ceased. That year,
there were more than 27,000 polio cases in the U.S., with 6,000
dying from the scourge.
During the 1920s and 1930s, the nation averaged four polio cases
for every 100,000. It doubled during the World War II era to eight
cases per 100,000. From 1945-1949, it again doubled to 16 polio
cases per 100,000. During the period of 1950-1954, there were 25
polio cases per 100,000, with 1952 alone having 37 polio cases per
100,000, the most ever recorded.
Iron Lung
In 1927, the iron lung was invented by Philip Drinker and Louis
Shaw at the Harvard School of Public Health. It was for those who
needed assistance in breathing, after their respiratory muscles were
paralyzed by polio. The iron lung was a large and noisy, tank-like
respirator, where the patient laid inside on his back, with only his
head outside. The unit cycled air pressure on the chest, forcing
inhaling and exhaling. While in the iron lung, the patient slowly
regained body strength to permit natural functioning of his muscles
in the labored progression towards recovery.
For most youngsters, the iron lung was oppressive and scary, and
understandably so, but after months of therapy, most were removed
from the device. A small portable respirator, constructed from light
Sister Kenny promoted
her method with zeal,
causing some in the medi- Young Sister Kenny, wearing
cal field to denounce her WW I medals she received.
as a quack, but her theraSister Kenny Foundation photo
pies were producing results. In the 1930s, she expanded her facilities, opening clinics in
many Australian cities. She came to the U.S. to demonstrate her
clinical techniques, being received apprehensively at first by the
medical field and NFIP. She found support though at Minneapolis
General Hospital, where a ward was designated for her treatments,
and at the University of Minnesota Hospital, where the Sister Kenny
Institute was opened.
Warm Springs Foundation
In the fall of 1922, polio victim Franklin Roosevelt decided it was
time for him to return to his law office at 120 Broadway in New York
City. As he crossed the lobby of the building, scraping the marble
flooring as he went with his stiff braces, he fell with an enormous
commotion. At first, everyone in the lobby was startled seeing the
famous politician cluttered on the floor. He gradually and amusingly picked himself up, smiling grandly to the onlookers, while
being assisted by a young lawyer, Basil O’Connor.
Because of his connections and popularity, he attracted numerous
wealthy benefactors to donate money to his Warm Springs Foundation. He began a series of “birthday balls” throughout the nation, held on his birthday, raising enormous sums of money for his
polio campaign. When he was elected governor of New York in
1928, he appointed O’Connor to be president of the foundation.
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Reluctant at first, O’Connor soon became completely committed to
the organization, developing it into one of the most successful
nonprofit groups of its kind. He first turned the Warm Springs
water therapy clinic into an efficient operation, open to all polio
victims.
March of Dimes
In 1938, Roosevelt and O’Connor changed the name of Warm
Springs Foundation, chartering it as the National Foundation for
Infantile Paralysis, commonly known as the March of Dimes, a
phrase coined by popular entertainer, Eddie Cantor. The March of
Dimes fund-raising campaigns began when Roosevelt asked American citizens informally on radio to send their pocket change to the
White House to help provide funds for NFIP’s fight against polio.
The March of Dimes drive took the country by storm, becoming an
immensely popular annual benefit drive. Because there was no governmental involvement in the polio fight, private citizens paid their
polio-related expenses individually, but most could not afford the
enormous expense. This was when NFIP stepped in and paid their
polio bills from the March of Dimes funds.
The annual March of Dimes drives were held in January and managed by local NFIP chapters. In accordance with NFIP procedure,
the local chapter kept one-half of the money it raised to pay the
costs of local polio victims. The other half was forwarded to NFIP
headquarters to be used in research and also to provide emergency
loans to chapters, whose constituency was hard hit by polio. From
1938 to 1962, NFIP raised $630 million to fight polio, involving millions of Americans in every corner of the nation.
NFIP’s research focus was on the development of a polio vaccine
to eradicate the disease. The story is fascinating and complicated,
with human drama, personality entanglements, painstaking progress,
and dogged experimentation. Polio research had been ongoing for
years. In 1935, a vaccine was developed by physicians Maurice
Brodie and John Kolmer. It was tested in a field trial, ending in
disaster, when the vaccine caused numerous polio cases, with some
dying. The vaccine carried a live virus, which caused a young
virologist, Dr. Jonas Salk at University of Pittsburg, to strive to
produce a dead virus vaccine.
Sabin Versus Salk
NFIP funded a number of polio researchers, using a rigorous evaluation process. The leading researcher was virologist, Dr. Albert
Sabin, who operated a laboratory at the Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati. He had been doing polio research for some time and was
well-respected for his work. Sabin was ten years older than Salk,
generally treating his younger colleague with distain, calling his
research in dead virus vaccine “kitchen science.” Sabin believed
unequivocally that live polio vaccine was the only vaccine that
could provide lifelong immunity. There was much animosity between the two, primarily stemming from Sabin’s attitude.
Salk felt he could provide a dead virus vaccine in three years, while
Sabin’s live virus vaccine would take six years. Those in the know,
knew that Sabin’s vaccine would be the ultimate destroyer of polio,
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because it provided lifelong immunity, but the country needed a
vaccine immediately, and Salk’s process took half the time. NFIP
gave priority to Salk, providing significant funding for his research,
so he could have his vaccine ready within three years.
In 1952, the nation had 57,000 polio cases, including 3,000 dead and
21,000 paralyzed. The numbers were significantly higher than before, somewhat because polio was now victimizing the baby-boom
generation and
older individuals. That same
year, Salk inoculated children
with his vaccine
at Polk State
School near his
Pittsburg lab,
resulting in an
overwhelming
success. Now
he concentrated
on the mass Vice President Richard Nixon, a father of
production of two young daughters, hamming it up for the
his
vaccine 1954 March of Dimes campaign.
through pharModesto Tribune photo
maceutical
manufacturers for a larger field study.
In 1954, Salk vaccine was tested nationally, being called the “biggest public health experiment ever,” vaccinating 600,000 school
children. The results were evaluated by Dr. Thomas Francis, a
highly-regarded virologist, who announced his findings in April
1955, telling the nation that the Salk vaccine field test was a success. This announcement opened the floodgates. All across the
nation, school children in the first and second grades were vaccinated. In 1955, polio cases dropped to 30,000. The vaccine program
was broadened in 1956, with 15,000 polio cases being reported. The
following year, 1957, there were 7,000 cases.
In the meantime, Sabin continued developing his live virus vaccine, which was ready for use in 1958. He did his field trial in the
Communist countries in Europe, administering his vaccine in sugar
cube form to 13 million children. The field trial was a success, resulting in its use by the American public in 1962. It replaced the
Salk vaccine as the common polio vaccine, because it provided
lifelong immunity. In 1969, there were only 20 polio cases in the
U.S.; in 1974, there were seven; and in 1979, only one.
Article written by Robert LeRoy Santos
Sources for both polio articles: Modesto Bee, Modesto Tribune,
Turlock Tribune, Stanislaus County Weekly News, A Summer Plague
(1995) by Tony Gould, and Splendid Solution (2004) by Jeffrey
Kluger.
———————— 93 ————————
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(Continued from back cover) to $51,130.92. This represents the
county’s share of the $367,331.87 spent in the county for old age
assistance, blind aid, and aid to needy children, and the $10,013.09
spent for general relief. Figures for the month as released by Miss
Bessie Ferguson, county welfare director, show there were 6,686
persons in the county receiving welfare or relief aid. Miss Ferguson’s
report to the welfare commission shows there were 3,746 persons
on old age assistance last month, a few less than were getting this
aid, in September. This program cost $258,843.70 with the county
supplying $20,999.20 of this and the state and federal governments
the balance. 125 persons received blind assistance, with a total of
$10,740.74, and 2,214 – in 888 families – received aid to needy
children, at a cost of $97,747.43. Desertion by one of the parents
was the major cause for new applications for aid to needy children.
There were eight such cases in addition to seven in which a physical
incapacity caused the deprivation and one due to a divorce. There
were 42 applications, for 98 children, approved during the month
and 10 denied. General relief cost Stanislaus County $10,013.09
during October, including some $7,200 spent on food and another
$1,795.44 for rent to persons without funds. The 601 persons on
general relief represented 120 families and 195 single persons.
Population Brings Changes - April 19, 1951
The next 20 years will see a big change in Stanislaus County. This
is the prediction of the county planning commission’s engineers,
who have projected the population curve to 1970, and find that the
county’s population by then will be between 196,000 and 200,000. It
is 130,000 now. That means several changes in living habits,
i n d u s t r i a l
development, and
agricultural methods
might reasonably be
expected. In fact, they
should be anticipated,
to make future
problems fewer and
simpler. Two of the
basic facts entering
into such changes
must be understood to
appreciate what may
happen. First, in
agriculture, county
farm records show that
nearly all acreage of
“Woman in the shoe” cartoon, illustratgood, productive land
ing over-population woes in California.
in the county is now
under cultivation.
Little, if any, acreage can be added to what is now being farmed.
Most of the people who have come here in the last quarter century
expected to follow agricultural pursuits. The county has shown a
70 percent growth in population in the last ten years, and many of
these people have had to turn to occupations other than agriculture,
as shown by the fact that the number of farms has not increased
appreciably. With our population expected to show another 70
percent growth in the next two decades, farming must become still
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more specialized, and more of our people must find work in industry
and service businesses. Secondly, where will the people live? The
census shows that the 60,000 people who came to this county in
the last ten years settled mostly in three areas, Modesto, Turlock
and Ceres. Further, these people took up residence in the so-called
fringe areas, with Modesto getting the largest number, Turlock the
next largest, and Ceres the third. The Modesto-Turlock area also
looms as the future home sites for the larger share of another 70,000
people expected to settle here within the next 20 years. Concentration
of newcomers in the fringe areas of Modesto, Ceres, and Turlock
has created a whole series of problems, which just now are beginning
to come to the front. One of them is the overloading of facilities of
the cities and demands upon the county for city services, such as
sewers, water, fire, and streets. If 50,000 to 70,000 people expected
to move to Stanislaus county within 20 years should decide to
follow the pattern of those who came here in the last ten years, the
area between Turlock and Modesto will be pretty well settled. They
would remove proportionately more land from productive farming
and cause still greater specialization. They would provide the labor
for more industry. They would provide problems of building new
roads, sewer systems, power lines, water mains, and many other
services. They would increase the hazards of traffic along Highway
99 to the point where the recently completed four-lane thoroughfare
would be completely inadequate.
Paperback Problems - January 29, 1953
Who says that Americans don’t buy books? In 1951, they bought
230,000,000 paperback volumes. In addition, they must have
purchased a fair number of regularly bound works. The paperback
is quite new. Combined with the idea of getting books out in this
form is that of finding outlets for them in drugstores, bus stations,
and other places, which have not ordinarily made much of a feature
of bookselling. The hope is to catch the man in the street who may
unjustly regard the bookstore as a high-brow place in which he
would not be interested. He is willing, however, to buy books now
and then if it is offered in a place which he frequents. The subject
matter of the paperbacks may be open to improvement. While
classics and later books of merit are included, the displays seem to
feature whodunits and covers with ladies in danger of catching
cold. Still a new industry has to feel its way. It is not yet certain
whether the way will be up or down.
Denair Parents Favor Return to Grades - February 12, 1953
Parents in Denair will notify the county department of education
that they want grades returned to their children’s report cards. The
county will get the message tonight during a meeting called by
Superintendent Fred C. Beyer to discuss the new report cards being
used on a trial basis in elementary schools throughout the county.
Denair’s response was gathered last week during a meeting of
parents at the regular Women’s Service Club meeting. W.O. Larson
of the Denair school board presided over the report card session.
The 46 people, who represented 37 Denair families, were divided
into four groups of about 12 each, with each group studing a series
of five questions: What part of a child’s education will most benefit
him in later life? What do you want to find out about your child
from a report card? What good qualities does the present card
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have? When your child is being graded, do you favor comparing members commented yesterday, “We had enough trouble with dogs.
him to the entire class or comparing him to his own group within the There are about ten cats for every dog and if we get started on that
class? The four groups differed on just what they actually wanted one we’ll never get out of it.”
on the report cards, but they all agreed that they wanted grades.
They wanted to know what their child was doing, both in grades Stalin’s Death Picked As Biggest ’53 Story - December 24, 1953
and in effort or ability. All four groups decided that competition The death of Josef Stalin and the realignment of power in the Kremlin
between students cannot be eliminated. (Elimination of competition was the biggest news story of 1953, editors of the United Press said
is one of the strongest arguments in favor of the new cards.) Two of today. The announcement of the Russian dictator’s death on the
the groups reported that they thought the children should be graded cold gray morning of December 5 set off events that threaded
in comparison to the entire class. The other
through world news all year. They included
two groups voted in favor of comparing the
the fall from power of Lavrenti Beria, one of
child to his group within the class. General
three men who inherited Stalin’s mantle.
agreement among all four groups also was
Second in the U.P. list of the 10 biggest stories
reached on another phase of education.
was the signing of the truce in Korea on July
Three of the groups thought that the basic
27. Russia also figured in the third biggest
skills of reading, writing and arithmetic
news story of 1953. U.P. editors selected for
should be emphasized more than social and
that spot the Russian development of the Hmoral development. The fourth group said
bomb and the subsequent reevaluation of
they felt the two should have equal
Western defense plans. The 10 biggest list
emphasis. The new cards were instituted on
for 1953: (1) Death of Stalin brings new
a trial basis, in some cases in the first three
realignment of Kremlin power (2) Korean truce
grades, and in others in all eight grades. Now
ends fighting and releases war prisoners of
the county department of education is Modesto dog license notice to the public
each side (3) Russian H-bomb causes
attempting to get a response. A group of in the Modesto Tribune.
revaluation of Western defenses (4)
trustees, teachers, and parents is studying
Republicans return to power after 20 years (5)
the reactions in the various areas of the county.
U.S. government executes atomic spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
(6) Kidnapers of Bobby Greenlease executed less than three months
Supervisors Now Face Problem of Stray Cats - October 15, 1953 after crime (7) Coronation of Queen launches Britain into another
For the past year or two, Stanislaus County Supervisors have been Elizabethan era (8) Republicans charge former President Truman
plagued with the question of what to do with the county’s many promoted Harry Dexter White, knowing he was an accused spy (9)
dogs. Now the board is confronted with the question of cats. East Germany rebels and United States capitalizes on revolt with
Supervisors yesterday quickly passed the issue to County Counsel food packages (10) Western drought and farm price crisis.
Fred Reyland with instructions to prepare an amendment to the
present ordinance governing the handling of dogs. The new Doomed Man Asks Stay to See Novel in Print - February 11, 1954
amendment will make it possible for the county pound to receive Convict Caryl Chessman today pleaded with a judge to postpone
cats for destruction only, and the owner must sign a release to this his execution in San Quentin’s gas chamber long enough to see his
effect. The matter came to the attention of the board yesterday novel in print. Chessman sentenced to die under California’s “Little
when the county health department and the pound were unable to Lindbergh” law, was convicted of abducting and raping two women.
agree as to who was responsible for the care of the cat on a recent The book, “Cell 2455, Death Row,” was purchased by Prentice-Hall
call. The county instituted a dog licensing ordinance about two of New York for $1,000, plus royalties. It will be published in July 26.
years ago. From that time on the board has been in first one hassle Chessman’s conviction of 18 felonies, including kidnapping, robbery,
and then another about the picking up of unlicensed dogs. Finally rape, was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals recently. Under the
last spring, it changed the pound and dog catcher personnel and law, execution must take place within 90 days after it is pronounced.
took the pound department out from under the jurisdiction of the
RLS
health department. The pound personnel are now directly
responsible to the board for all of its actions and orders. Board
Stanislaus Historical Quarterly is published four times a year, featuring freshly researched articles on Stanislaus County history.
Currently, there is no charge per subscription or individual issues, but readers must notify the editor to be placed on the mailing list.
Ideas for articles or historical information concerning topics of county history may be sent to the editor. This is a non-profit
educational publication. Stanislaus Historical Quarterly is edited, copyrighted, and published by Robert LeRoy Santos, Alley-Cass
Publications, 2240 Nordic Way, Turlock, CA, 95382. Tel: 209.634.8218. Email: [email protected]. Ellen Ruth Wine Santos is assistant editor and proofreader. ISSN1945-8126 ©
———————— 95 ————————
Issues of the Day - Polio Epidemic Era
Below are articles taken from the Modesto Bee, Modesto Tribune, and Turlock Tribune representing the issues before the Stanislaus
County public during the polio epidemic and the Korean War era.
Biggest Sewing Boom in History Sweeps U.S. - June 3, 1949
Council voted final passage to an ordinance authorizing and
Quick, Girls, take up your needles if you haven’t already. You may regulating self-service gasoline stations last night. The ordinance
not have noticed, but we’re in the middle of the biggest sewing provides that there should be one attendant for every six pumps. A
boom in history. A recent survey showed that around 52,000,000 control room must be constructed, with a public address system
women sew, not counting the ones that rely on pins in an emergency. and manned by a person able to turn off any pump at anytime.
More than 28,000,000 of these are creative sewers – that is they Nozzles on the gas lines will have to be equipped with dead man
actually make dresses, suits, and
control valves and with vacuum operated
clothes. Before the war, a paltry
overflow check valves. Before voting
10,000,000 women were involved in
final passage, the councilmen discussed
home sewing. Think of it. Why is
an article in the current issue of Western
everybody taking up sewing? Many
City which questioned the safety of such
are driven by an urge to create their own
stations. Of particular danger, it was
distinctive clothes. But the sewers who
pointed out, would be drunks who might
swelled the statistics to the booming
let the gasoline flow on the ground. It
point are mostly the girls who wanted
was stressed that operators who allowed
to save money. How do they learn to
drunk drivers in the station would be
The first self-service gas station in Modesto
sew? Some of them learn at their
guilty of a misdemeanor.
mother’s knee, but more often than not,
both mother and daughter end up at a sewing class. There are
Slot Machines Not Tolerated Says D.A. Martz - July 7, 1950
thousands of these classes being held across the country. Under Slot machines take their final bow, and the curtain falls on the
the instruction of their leaders, girls in 4-H clubs throughout “amusement” of One Armed Bandits on Saturday, July 15th. In the
Stanislaus County turned in 1,100 sewing entries at the recent fair meantime it has been rumored that “brains” of gambling interests
in Turlock. This is being repeated in most counties of every state. have been in deep mental calisthenics trying to figure how to outwit
In addition stores are conducting sewing classes, as are YMCA’s the state’s new anti-slot machine law. Theodore Martz, district
women’s clubs, and sewing machine companies, just to give you attorney for Stanislaus County, is quoted as having stated, “We
an idea. The sewing classes are often so jammed that many a would- have kept slot machines out of this county fairly well the past few
be seamstress has to pine beside an idle machine for months before years and do not intend to tolerate them now.”
she can get instructions. Before the war, women spent about
$3,000,000 learning how to sew. In 1948, they spent $10,000,000.
On Accident Risk - November 23, 1950
More than $60,000,000 was spent last year for patterns as compared One of the serious hazards to the eyesight of infants, it has been
with $14,000,000 in prewar years. Obviously, somebody is sewing concluded by the Society for the Prevention of Blindness, is
or at least collecting patterns. You may not think that the sewing smoking. The dangerous smoking is not done by the infants, of
machine is more universal than the telephone, but it is. There are course, but by their mothers and fathers. In a study of eye injuries
28,000.000 sewing machines in American homes, only 22,000,000 among infant patients at two large hospitals, the society found a
telephones. Falling right in line with the sewing boom, fabrics, sufficient prevalence of cigarette and match burns to cause issuance
notions and sewing needs sales have run wild. Many of the large of a statement warning against the most common perils of that
department stores are devoting entire floors to everything from type. Mothers should not smoke while feeding, dressing or otherwise
“findings” (thread, zippers, etc.) to sewing machines and expert ministering to their children. Fathers should not smoke while holding
consultants to help beginners. All of America seems to be turning children over their shoulders. Both should take care to keep lighted
into one mammoth sewing bee, and there’s not a smidgen of a sign cigarettes beyond the reach of infant fingers.
of its letting up.
County Welfare Program Costs - December 1, 1950
Modesto Okays Self-Service Gas Stations - January 27, 1950
The October bill in Stanislaus County for welfare and relief amounted
After a little soul searching as to their safety, the Modesto City
(Continued on page 94)
Free Subscriptions - Free Back Issues
You must contact us, if you haven’t done so
yet, to receive a free subscription. Also, if you
want any of the back issues, you must contact us. Robert LeRoy Santos, Alley-Cass Publications, 2240 Nordic Way, Turlock, CA,
95382.Tel:209.634.8218.
Email: [email protected] Thank you!

(Spring 2009) [Polio]

Transcription

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