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American Innovations

Preventing Paralysis | Marching Towards a Cure | 1

American Innovations

Wondery

Steven Johnson, History, Kids & Family, Education For Kids, Science

4.64.1K Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 2023

⏱️ 36 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You can binge all episodes of American Innovations exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts

By the middle of the last century Americans lived in fear of one disease: polio. The story of the polio vaccine is not just a scientific story- it’s a political and financial one, too. One that would pave the way for medical research fundraising campaigns that followed. 

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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:04.6

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0:08.8

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0:11.6

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0:22.1

It's in August afternoon in 1921.

0:25.4

And on Campo Below Island off the southern coast of New Brunswick,

0:30.1

a doctor pays a visit to a large cottage.

0:33.8

Painted Auburn with Emerald Trim. This cottage is the summer home of an American family

0:39.7

with one of the most recognized last names in the world.

0:45.2

Doctor, thank you for coming. Right this way.

0:49.2

The patient is 39 years old. This is his home away from home, where he's been vacationing with

0:55.0

his wife and children. But now he's fallen sick. When did he first show symptoms?

1:01.2

Yesterday afternoon he said he was starting to feel cold all over.

1:04.8

And this morning? This morning he has a terrible fever.

1:08.3

And there's something else. Good morning sir. Now let's see what the problem is here.

1:14.8

The patient's temperature is extremely high, but the doctor is confident.

1:19.9

This does look to me like a particularly nasty case of the flu.

1:23.5

With proper bed rest I estimate you'll make a full recovery within a week.

1:27.9

But doctor, he can barely lift his leg.

1:31.7

In the coming days, the numbness spreads from one leg to the other.

1:36.3

The man's skin becomes so sensitive that a mere breeze through the bedroom window is enough

1:41.5

to make him cry out. He's frightened. Certain he is about to die.

...

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