First Clinical Description of Polio
In 1789, British physician specializing in midwifery and surgery, Michael Underwood, published A Treatise on the Diseases of Children, with General Directions for the Management of Infants from Birth, which details diseases and their origins that particularly affected children. Of particular note was his description of polio, noting it as "debility of the lower extremities".
Prior to this published clinical description, there had been written descriptions and visual depictions of what we now understand to be the effect of the polio virus dating back before recorded history. In fact, one of the earliest descriptions is from an ancient Egyptian wall carving from the Eighteenth Dynasty (1580– 1350 B . C . E .), or about 3,500 years ago. It shows a young man with one withered leg and a drooping foot who supports himself with a staff. A leg paralyzed by polio usually withers because the muscles no longer work or build strength and size.
The writings of the Greek physician Hippocrates (ca. 460 B . C . E .) contain descriptions of foot and leg deformities that might plausibly be describing paralytic polio. Several centuries later, the Roman physician Galen (138– 201 C . E .) seems to have been familiar with paralysis of the legs that occurred in early childhood, again suggestive of polio.
References:
Dunn, P M. “Michael Underwood, MD (1737-1820): physician-accoucheur of London.” Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition vol. 91,2 (2006): F150-2. doi:10.1136/adc.2005.074526
"Michael Underwood (1736?-1820)." Vaulted Treasures: University of Virginia, Historical Collections at the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, http://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/treasures/michael-underwood-1736-1820/.
Wilson, D. J. (2009). Polio. ABC-CLIO. https://uosc.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01USC_INST/273cgt/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9780313358982