Medicine: Money & Polio

As the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis geared up its emergency March of Dimes drive to raise $20 million in the next two weeks, it ran head-on into trouble. Many communities joined up reluctantly, some flatly refused. They had given generously to last winter's drive, which raised $55 million, and community leaders feared that the new campaign would interfere with upcoming charity appeals, especially their local community chests:

¶ In Los Angeles, the Social Service Commission at first denied permission for the drive, then sheepishly reversed itself as the local polio epidemic worsened (see below).

¶ In Syracuse, N.Y., the Post-Standard printed an...