A STRANGE INCIDENT

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3038, 20 May 1926, Page 2

A STRANGE INCIDENT

BRAVE GIRL STOPS RUNAWAY. CRIPPLED CHILD’S RECOVERY •AS RESULT OF ACCIDENT. A strange incident is reported by Mrs Bryce, who lives just out of Palmerston North says the Standard. It appears that* on Saturday week last, Mrs Bryce and her nineyear old son, who was crippled in an accident over four years ago, were visiting town on business, having driven in with a horse and gig. According to the statement

given, the horse took fright when

nearing the railway and bolted. A young girl, who it is understood was about 18 years of age, jumped off her bicycle and bravely stopped the run-away.. However, with the sudiden jerk occasioned by the stoppage the boy in the gig was thrown out on to the road.

The girl went to him immediately and offered assistance. The youth then explained that he was a cripple, but the girl assured him that he was not disabled and with this the lad walked unaided to his mother.

Naturally, all but the boy’s welfare was forgotten in the moment of excitement and when Mrs Bryce looked for the young lady who had rendered such wonderful aid, she was disappointed to find that the girl had gone unnoticed, and left no clue as to her name or address.

A correspondent to our Palmerston morning conteihporary referring to the crippled boy’s recovery of the use of his legs says: “The explanation is simply this, when ho

met with an accident some years ago one or more joints of his spine was put out of place and it pinched the nerve or nerves leading to his legs and they then never got 100 per cent, nerve force through, with the result that his legs could not be controlled properly by the brain. Then he meets with another accident and the jolt or sudden fall on the road jerks the joint of his spine in such a way that the segment of spine slips into its proper position again and so the nerves function properly once more. When the nerves of the spine get pinched they also heat up and we have what is called congestion, and the organs they lead to consequently do not function properly. There are a couple of very delicate machines on the market now and they instantly show the rise in temperature when applied to a nerve that is pinched.”

We are informed that the young girl who stopped the runaway horse is a daughter of a Foxton resident, whose name it is not desired to disclose.