title: Postinfection immunity to measles was known to common folk well before its discovery by science.
abstract: Articles in newspapers and magazines of the early 19th century show that it was common knowledge that one only got measles once. This was well before the discovery was made by medical science. Even in the 18th century, there was a notion that after measles infection, a person was probably immune to it. The popular attitude down to the mid-20th century was that the disease was a childhood affliction that simply had to be endured.
authors.affiliation: William Meacham, now semi-retired, was Research Fellow, Centre of Asian Studies, University of Hong, 1980-2012.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meacham
mesh_terms: D047831:American Civil War; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008457:Measles / Q000266:history*; D008519:Medicine, Traditional / Q000266:history*