Evening star., 1944-10-21
Film Demonstrates
Sister Kenny Method
OF Polio Treatment

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apolis, last night presented to rep
resentatives of the medical and al
lied professions her new motion pic
ture to demonstrate her concept"
Of the diagnosis and treatment of
infantile paralysis.
Supplementing the screen showing
at the Medical Society headquarters,
Sister Kenny in brief explanations
before and after the show, empha-
sized that to obtain the maximum
results 1t was necessary not only to
use hot packs on afflicted muscles
OF the victims, but to understand
and believe in her theories and
practice as taught at the Kenny In
stitute at Minneapolis. Invitations
to the showing had been issued in
the name of DR.. George c. Ruhland,
District health officer, who presided.
The picture, which ran for an
hour and 40 minutes, with sound
track by Sister Kenny, presented
numerous cases of both children and
adults under treatment. Some chill
dren were pictured from the on
slaught of the paralysis, at first
twisting and suffering in pain, then
being given the treatment by appli-
cation OF hot packs, and manipula-
ton of the muscles by Sister Kenny
herself. Later they were shown in
a condition which the nurse de-
scribed as completely recovered"
with no deformity, perfect backs
and normal arms and legs. Others
were partly recovered, so they could
walk with some hesitation.
One man speaking on the sound
track testified he had been under
other treatment for 18 months be-
fore going to Sister Kenny and had
been told he'd never walk" He was
walking after her treatment and
said he was back on the job. She
said 30 per cent Of all persons
treated at her institute had recov-
cred and there had been no real de-
formities.
Expressing appreciation for the
welcome accorded her, and the op-
portunity to speak to the kind
hearted" members OF the medical
profession in Washington, Sister
Kenny complained that she had been
very much disappointed" in the
reception her concept had received
generally by the medical profession
throughout the country.
Persons in various parts of the
country, she told the audience, were
using her technique as a treatment
while believing only in the orthodox
medical concept that infantile par
alysis is an affliction of the central
nervous system.
Its all chaotic" she declared
They are using treatment for
which they do not know the base
I do not consider that any other
training center except the Kenny
Institute is sufficiently equipped to
teach the method with conviction
and satisfaction"
She insisted she had discovered"
certain things about the disease,
such as muscle spasm, alienation of
muscles and inco-o ordination of mus
cles, which had not been recognized
before by the medical profession
Throughout the picture she repeat
edly pointed to effects of the disease
on various parts of the victims
bodies. to stress her concept" that
the skin, the tissues Immediately
beneath the skin and the fascia,
which are sheaths that bind the
muscles, are affected directly by the
disease entirely independent of the
central nervous system"
DR.. Rutland, in presenting Sister
Kenny, welcomed her to Washing
ton. Without giving unreserved ap-
proval to her system, he said the
medical profession was following
two maxims, to do no damage to
any patient, but to keep an open
mind on research and new tech
niques. He said afterward he was
impressed with the film and added:
Whether her concept of the path
ology of the disease Is true-namely.
that the muscles and other parts can
be affected independently of the
central nervous system-is subject to
further research"
Meantime, one new case of infan-
tile paralysis was reported to the
Health Department today, bringing
the total for the Metropolitan Area
up to BIB since ,Jllly /