First manuscript on poliomyelitis published in Mexico in the 19th century.

Abstract

Poliomyelitis, is an infectious and contagious disease caused by one of the three types of viruses that are known by the name of I or Brunhilde, type II or Lansing and type III or Leon and is capable of producing a total or partial paralysis of either the upper and / or lower extremities, in addition to the muscles of the trunk or in the latter case, cause death. Controlled by a vaccination process in the late twentieth century, there are known cases documented in Mexico since the year of 1922. However, we find an article where he describes the classic characteristics of the so-called Heine-Medin disease, by the military physician Manuel Saturnino Soriano (1837-1927), who in the journal Annals of the Larrey Association, commented on a case of a two-and-a-half-year-old child with initial influenza and fever from 39o to 40o,plus a tachycardia (fast heart rate). At 10 days, he had a loss of ability to stand: no loss of control of micturition and defecatory sphincters. He recovered after applying electrotherapy by Davis' stimulator, among other remedies. He regained the ability to ambulation 6 months later.