Early History ( 1570 BCE - 1900 AD)
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Poliomyelitis is widely believed to be one of the oldest diseases to plague humanity. Perhaps the earliest depiction of polio comes from a variety ancient Egyptian carvings showing individuals with the characteristic withered limbs and paralysis of the lower leg and foot, as well as young children walking with canes. For example, the image to the left shows a priest standing with the help of a cane due to the extensive damage to his right leg. The exact dates of these carvings are unknown, but the known dates of the early Egyptian empires suggest the disease was afflicting humans as early as 1570 BCE. However early polio infections were incredibly sporadic, and epidemics of the disease were essentially nonexistent. Because of this, there is not another documented incidence until the middle of the 18th century.
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The earliest recorded case is that of Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish novelist. As a young child in 1773, Scott developed a severe fever that resulted in paralysis of his right leg. At the time, polio was still entirely unknown to the medical community. Scott’s condition heavily influenced his writing, and he came to write several detailed accounts of his sickness, such as this one from "The Medical History of Sir Walter Scott":
"...On the fourth, when they went to bathe me as usual, they discovered that I had lost the power of my right leg. . . There appeared to be no dislocation or sprain; blisters and other topical remedies were applied in vain."
-Sir Walter Scott
It is from first hand recollections such as this one that modern medical professionals are able to confidently retrospectively diagnose Scott with polio.
"...On the fourth, when they went to bathe me as usual, they discovered that I had lost the power of my right leg. . . There appeared to be no dislocation or sprain; blisters and other topical remedies were applied in vain."
-Sir Walter Scott
It is from first hand recollections such as this one that modern medical professionals are able to confidently retrospectively diagnose Scott with polio.