Even if this WAS a realistic, possible side effect... the fact that so many people consider autism worse then diseases like small pox is just sickening.
This was in the early 1900s, boys that were usually doing a good deal of physical labor, whether in rural farm areas or in mire urban factory ECT areas, so they were more physically toned (not to mention possibly malnurished) than children you except to see today.
(jk)