Saturday, October 17, 2009

Article #76 Childhood Diseases

Nowadays with all the vaccinations and shots available, many common childhood diseases such as rheumatic fever, typhoid, measles, small pox and polio have almost been eradicated in developed countries. Knowledge of how to treat these diseases or even what caused them in earlier times was lacking. There were only home herbal treatments.

When my Grandmother Vernon (see photo at left with her brother Meade) was young, she was stricken with rheumatic fever and became very ill. Her baby brother George had died earlier with rheumatic fever when it came to their community. I recall her telling me that “I got rheumatism in my legs, and my feet turned right around backwards.” In time she recovered and her feet returned to normal, but how frightening for mothers in those days, not knowing when or if their family would become ill or how to treat them. Many families were quarantined to prevent spreading of the disease. This was the case with the influenza outbreak in the early 1900s.

My grandmother continues, ”When I went to school, it was a one room and I never did graduate because my mother got sick and I had to stay home and do the work and take care of all the kids. (Photo of her mother Clara Wilkins and her father George Stevens.) I learned to mix bread when I was 6 years old. We had to wash on the board for a long time then later Dad got a washing machine.” Disease took it toll on early families regardless of age, occupation or financial status.

I remember a childhood illness of mine that started with a cold then turned into pneumonia. My grandmother quickly came to the aid of my mother with her experience from raising three children. I was bundled up and a hot mustard plaster applied to my chest to help my breathing. Then mentholatum was put on my chest. With time and tender care, I was restored to my usual good health.

During my childhood there was a great fear of polio. I was warned not to get chilled or I could catch this frightening disease that crippled many children. Some individuals even ended up in iron lungs for assistance with their breathing or wearing braces the rest of their lives to support their legs for walking. Nowadays, children need have no fear for many diseases of my childhood as they can be vaccinated or have shots to protect them. Unfortunately, we are finding new diseases like the swine flu to fight.

8 comments:

  1. I too had rheumatic fever as a baby! One never hears of it anymore. How unfortunate that your grandmother had to leave school at such an early age to help out at home. Families sure tended out for each other back then, not always the case today!

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  2. Mentholatum reminds me of my mother...she was always smearing some on my throat and then wrapped a towel around that to help with my swollen glands.

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  3. My Aunt Edna [2 years younger than my mom] had polio as a young child and she thought it was the reason that later on in her life that she was unable to have children.
    I remember having measles..the 3 week measles! [Looking out of the window and watching all of the neighborhood kids outside playing.]

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  4. Interesting story to read. Hope the swine flu misses all of us.
    Laurie Van Luvanee

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  5. I knew a young girl who was stricken with braces on her legs because of polio. And my father's father. The implications were pretty serious then, give a family's economy.

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  6. And yet so many people are afraid to take the swine flu vaccination. We still don't have enough doses in Hawaii.

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  7. With a well planned immunization plan our country too is free of many such diseases....this plan is provided free in our government hospitals or in few cases with minimal charges...if one wants better quality vaccines,can always buy it from private clinics like i did for my kids...my paed.tells me that as soon as Swine flu vaccine is out he will inform me.I have heard many stories like your grandmother
    s from my relatives...it is unimaginable how hard it must have been for the parents those days.

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  8. My grandmother had polio and my mother lost some of her hearing from ear infections. Antibiotics and vaccines have certainly made a difference if you happen to live in one of the more wealthy countries. Otherwise children are still dying of preventable diseases... Michelle

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