The Treatment Of Infantile Paralysis In The Acute Stage

Sister Elizabeth Kenny

• Publisher: Bonhopai Books
• eBook ISBN:
  9781779791689
• Year: 2025

In this groundbreaking and historic medical work, Sister Elizabeth Kenny outlines the revolutionary treatment method that defied conventional wisdom and forever altered the global response to one of the most feared diseases of the 20th century—infantile paralysis, later known as poliomyelitis. At a time when rigid immobilization and limb bracing were standard, Kenny proposed an entirely different approach: the application of moist heat, passive movement, and early rehabilitation to relieve muscle spasm, reduce neurological damage, and restore function. Drawing on firsthand experience in rural Australia and field hospitals during World War I, Kennys method was not just an innovation—it was a defiance of medical orthodoxy. In this book, she explains her techniques in precise, accessible terms, illustrated by numerous case studies and procedural details intended for physicians, nurses, and caregivers alike. Beyond clinical instruction, she offers a compelling narrative of perseverance—her fight for recognition by a skeptical medical establishment, her eventual validation in the United States, and the global shift that followed in polio care. Kenny's bold voice is evident throughout the text: firm in conviction, compassionate toward patients, and tireless in advocacy. This work marks the early foundations of modern physical therapy and stands as a testament to one woman's vision, courage, and deep humanity in the face of institutional resistance. The Treatment of Infantile Paralysis in the Acute Stage remains essential reading for medical historians, physiotherapists, and all who value patient-centered, evidence-driven innovation.

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• DEDICATION
• List of Illustrations
• Preface
• CHAPTER 1—My Visit to the United States
• CHAPTER 2—Comparison of Treatments
• CHAPTER 3—Complications Due to Immobilization in Cases of Anterior Poliomyelitis
• CHAPTER 4—Nursing
• CHAPTER 5—Balneotherapy
• CHAPTER 6—Spasm
• CHAPTER 7—Clinical Condition of the Patient
• CHAPTER 8—Classification and Synchronization of Muscles
• CHAPTER 9—Restoration of Function to Muscles of the Neck
• CHAPTER 10—Restoration of Function to the Muscles of the Shoulder Girdle (Acute Poliomyelitis)
• CHAPTER 11—Muscles of the Forearm and Hand
• CHAPTER 12—Muscles of the Trunk
• CHAPTER 13—Restoration of Function to the Muscles of the Lower Limbs
• CHAPTER 14—Restoration of Function to the Muscles of the Leg
• CHAPTER 15—Artificial Supports
• CHAPTER 16—How to Detect the Presence of Spasm
• CHAPTER 17—Summary of Brisbane Lectures
• APPENDIX A
• APPENDIX В
• APPENDIX C