Histoire de la polio

Paralysed with Fear: The Story of Polio


GARETH WILLIAMS is Professor of Medicine and former Dean of Faculty at the University of Bristol, UK. 

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (July 17, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1137299754
ISBN-13: 978-1137299758

For much of the twentieth century, polio inspired terror as the 'morning paralysis' which could invade any home and disable or kill a previously healthy person. The cruelty of the disease is epitomised by the iconic images of the crippled child and the iron lung. 

This is the story of mankind's struggle against polio, is compelling, exciting and full of twists and pardoxes. One of the grand challenges of modern medicine, it was a battleground between good and bad science. Some research won Nobel Prizes; other work was flawed or fraudulent, holding up progress and endangering patients' lives. Gareth Williams takes an original view of the journey to understanding and defeating polio, exploring the profoundly moving experiences of victims alongside the medical and scientific landmarks in the history of the disease.