Pox, Polio, & Poison in the Oval Office
A History of Presidential Illnesses and the Decisions They Shaped
From deadly smallpox that scarred presidents to FDR’s carefully hidden paralysis and the often unsuspected poisonings that haunted others, the story of presidential maladies is as fascinating as it is human.
Research Sources
Archival research uncovers the maladies of the presidents, some of which are not well known.
Weekly Quiz
From Pox to Polio, Challenge your presidential wits.
Expert Analysis
A history-minded physician describes presidential medical conditions, often with new possibilities
Today in Presidential Health History
October 16
1846: Ether anesthesia was first used in an operation at Massachusetts General Hospital.
1916: Margaret Sanger opened the first birth-control clinic in New York.
1964: Herbert Hoover vomited 500 mL of red blood, and his hemoglobin level dropped precipitously.
1965: Anti-Vietnam War protests in 10 cities involved more than 100,000 people.