NO NEED FOR KENNY TREATMENT AS YET

Chronicle (Levin), 16 December 1947, Page 5

NO NEED FOR KENNY TREATMENT AS YET

WELLINGTON, Dec. 15. The Kenny treatment was necessary only in cases of poliomvelitis in whien there were delinite signs of paralysis in a patient, said Sister Gwen Dryden, oi the T. A. Duncan Hospital for neuromuscular diseases at Silverstream, in an interview. None of tlie cases in Wei lington or for that matter in most other parts of the Dominion, had so rar shown any delinite signs of paralysis and it was unnecessary for l iieni to be •transferred to her h spital when they were being quite capably looked after by those medical practitioners in wiiose hands they were at present. Sister (Dryden said in nny case slie would tour New Zealand with Sister Kenny during I the latter's present vigit and ' as she ; herself was the only person at her hos-

pital to be acquainted with the speciai tfeatment, any new patients could not be treated in l\er absence. In the comin^ months, if the epidemic did show a grave and more widespread inerease, and the demand for the speciai Ivenn£_ treatment became very great, it woula'" be necessary to bring spccialists in the treatment to this country from overseas. Snch persons would probably be available from the United States. It Vnight be wondered wliy oUiers from the nursing profession in New Zealand' could not be taught ti apply Sister Kenny 's treatifient in any emergency 1 but two years was tlie ininimum period in wliicli a person could be taught to administer the treatment efficiently.