The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-11-06

 the Newington Home for Crippled Children had unusual significanct this year on account of the re. cent epidemic of infantile paralysii in this state and the consequent service which the Newingtof Home has been called upon to rem der. The reports of all the vari. ous committees submitted at thif meeting gave picture. Of efi- ciency and usefulness not only in the present emergency but also ir the day-by-day and month-by- month attention to the problems ot some of the handicapped children of the state.
 The beautiful plant of the New ington Home, well placed by the generous appropriation of the leg islature on the western slope of the Newington hills, is every year more and more complete. and more and more efficient. The financial bur- dens are, of course. a constant load upon the directors. This year the books are closed with only a small deficit, which is a challenge to the generosity of Connecticut.
 It is good to comment upon the fact that the young men and wo- men who received not only physi- cal help but education at Newing- ton are beginning to declare divid- ends. Frank Fuhlbruck, the first boy from Newington to. graduate from college, is now doing excel lent work es Q teacher in the far west. This year James P. Kearney who graduated from Trinity college last June, though seriously and permanently restricted in hii mobility, has proved of real serv- ice at Newington by serving as a teacher of high school pupils con fined to their beds or to the home. The following are some Of the high lights in the annual report sub mitted at the annual meeting by Miss Constance Leigh, the superin- tendent of the home.
 "In all the years have been as- sociated with Newingt0n l think l have never before realized its use- fulness as I have these last few months. I have alawys felt 1t had A. very direct service to render m the community but its significant opportunity right now is being equipped to serve and minister to cases of paralysis resulting from the recent epidemic of polio marks a distinct phase in the history of the Newington Home.
 About a year and a half ago when the therapeutic swimming pool was installed in our home 1t was quite impossible for anyone to foresee the epidemic which has brought tragedy and disaster to so many homes, and one can hardly say enough in appreciation to the officials of the state who were will- ing to finance the installation of our equipment through which we are in turn serving the states chill dren and future citizens. think 1t is not out of order to pay tribute to those men who accepted with confidence our judgment as to the type of apparatus and equipment which would enable Newington to do efficient work in the reconstruc- tion and recovery of paralyzed muscles. The swimming pool at Newington has already demon- strated its usefulness and we have many cases of once bedridden girls and boys now getting around who have been helped tremendously with steady. carefully supervised muscle training and work within the pool over period of many months. To our recently admitted paralyzed cases it Is already prov ing of infinite value, not alone helping to restore muscle power to the affected parts of these boys and girls, but also from the point of view of the joy and fine morale there comes from the working to- gether in the freedom and exercise allowed in the pool after the per- iods of supervised exercises.
 since September 14th we have admitted thirty-one of the recent ly paralyZed cases to Newington. This is in addition, by the way, to number of other handicapped children whose parents and guard- ians have been stirred to do some- thing about their child's handicap through publicity regarding recent cases of paralysis. To date we have 210 children in the home. We are admitting from six to twelve cases each week and as yet the end is not even in sight. Tn this con- nection I do want to speak with a great deal of enthusiasm of the supporting cooperation of my CO., workers of the Newington staff. Their cheery willingness to work extra and longer hours and their good humored acceptance of crowded conditions and limited space are a stimulation and a joy.
 "As time goes on and patients progress 1t will be practical to dis- charge them as, residents from Newington and have them followed up and brought back to the home as out-patients, carrying on their exercises and treatment at certain periods through the week. We are carrying about forty children as out-patients now and this will nat urally increase as time goes on.
 "Our clinics held here at New ington Monday and Thursday mornings and Friday afternoons are showing steadily increasing numbers and last year we had about 500 at these various clinics.
 ''Newirsgton'A recent connection with the Yale Medical schsol seems q thoroughly fine construc- i've steD and these men with their