A Brief Description of the Film

Presenting

By
ELIZABETH KENNY

IN 1939, a committee of medical men in Bris-

bane, Queensland, Australia, admitted that I
had proved to their satisfaction that the dis-
ease anterior poliomyelitis presented symp-
toms previously unknown and unrecognized
and, therefore, I had made, to use their exact
words, "a contribution to the science of medi-
cine.'' It was just at this time that Australia
joined the combatant nations in the war
against Germany and as a consequence was
overtaxed by her efforts to deal with the mo-
bilization of her volunteer army. The civilian
medical personnel of the country was very
much reduced, and the universities were be-
coming depleted of students, owing to the
rush to enlist in the armed services. Acting
upon the advice of this committee, who thought
it advisable for me to present my findings to
a research institution in a country where peace
still reigned, I decided to come to the United
States. I arrived in this country as an official
visitor, introduced by the then premier of my
State, the Honorable William Forgan Smith,
and a committee of medical men comprised of
the following:
Dr. Aubury Pye, M.D., B. Chm., F.R.C.S. (England}
Medical Superintendent, General Hospital, Brisbane,
Queensland, Australia.
Dr. Felix Arden, M.D., B. Chm., F.R.C.P. (England}
Medical Superintendent, Children's Hospital, Bris-
bane, Queensland, Australia.
Dr. Jarvis Nye, M.D., B. Chm., F.R.C.P. (Australia)
Consultant Physician.
Dr. Alan Lee, M.D .. M.S .. F.R.C.S. (England} Consult-
ant Surgeon.
Dr. A. frybNg, M.D., D.T.M.. D.P.H.. Public Health
Service,, Brisbane, Quconsland, Australia,
through the good offices of Dr. Henderson, was
introduced to Drs. Wallace Cole and George
Williamson, of St. Paul. These physicians pre-
sented several patients to me suffering from
the aftereffects of poliomyelitis. These pa-
tients had ceased to respond satisfactorily to
the best orthodox treatment, and deformities
had materialized during such tr!;:latment. At
this time several months had elapsed since the
onset of the disease. With my newer knowl-
edge of the symptoms of the disease and treat-
ment for these symptoms, I was able to cor-
rect deformities and restore function to some
muscle groups in the short space of one week.

I amvcd m Ne\'\- York m the month 01 April,

19~0. At this tnn 1oc1hti s we:1e not avaiktblo
l r my r ,c11k1l1on of th£' 10:,tilh~ of my chm-

1· th, \ \ rnmith men

1 1ltt l ite 11•,:i:~hmc.: of Dr.
f 1!1t M n, > 'linil t r thh, ires-
!, , I
, i tit M, 1 ,) J'~,1111 l, 1hon ~11d,
t r$ nrs. C'"'I cmd kn1.1 p tha t tw o Yt 1 D1. ' c 111 b 1 1, l<J-1 '.'>, llt1 1:1tz 1h«-th K, nny l1rntl tlllr
wuldl::crquird t tl ::x·h th ~r 't1\lll'h WU:l ,tti ·111lly l..ll I llt d <t: 111 tnl1 <jllll I } It
e\'t n tht most int llig nt fl..,~lmi ·i m . 'l'lh .'t' 11\l nt nl llh ho ·.l'ik I.
Qt ntl ,m n ..._-kn wl dql d tlnt tht m o il th y
i\d111 h ,ii.; l\ lo lltt ltH,111\111 I d,•11•1111111, d by
saw f th w rk, th m r th y t q t ' :i with
th I ll Wlllq ~'I
tin, $t 1tt lll nt. I 1ls t ll <..ll :i th it lht ~~ 1 vh l -
f Profo.:-$ r H. J. W1lkill$Oll Pi o k ~~ r of t\n 1t l 1.1!1t nt:. 1n1ht htc lm: l 1 ;l11111111 d by I hy.1
drn,~, 111 l11t' 11,prnhn1111:, of 11t,111ol,1qy and
my f tht" Vnin,rsit ' of U t 'n: k1nct, ho st •
p1'd1 II IC'~, 1. I t h1 tvlt Ill h '111 It:, ~1 'lit 'I l 11 l I 1si;;i
urt d fer tbe ~ ·t ,'t'nt 1ti n of tins tr otm "'nt t
kl. J\ft1 r d1 11111h d10:::mo·,ir. Itri· le n st b
J resc r :h institution, f r th r w 1.1s mu h t
lish1. cl, th pc li ,nt, cirt tr m ,It t tt d t th ln
e \ l:un d.
s titut . 1t h, Ir m Ch 111 11 It ntm nt qiv n at th
1n f"\ m 19 0, :i r rt W O$ submith d
h1stit11t th it 1110 p1 ,,. 1'nh1tk111 of th K nny
"" It'', Pr k'S8 r of 1rthop di ·
·on f thl <li,;l ,1·;1 h,, hccn rPcord d on
:md I r 1il n :l k.n1.1pp, T'rofc-8s r f
filn rn in ii ,1 ut bll I v1dt'n d1r tly contr
l Tbern~ y, Umyc1:1ty f Mimw · ta,
di ·tinq tlit th1' 1it \\}'1. n whidi 11 pr v1ou
tr 1.1hn1. nt b hi h 't n l : d
l r1. viou., ~
r 'St'n l ,ti n:, havo accepted polio
tin the ntrol n rv
us ~vsh m only Thi:~ h b n r corded ln
th1• Journal of th Am rican M dical Alloalca-
tion l: v c 11Hnndinq i r I ors in orthopedi
sur 11. ry cm i t n hots in m d1c:al choola
I h 1, Jun , 1944, and was support by ttt.
rt ',t m ·h ~ammitt e of th Univ rsity of M
s to 111 a m di 1 publi tion The
month lat r At this point I reallnd
4 s
 I h d ss ·iati n with this rt search
t-Q.."11
comnutt '~ nr som other re arch committe0
and could r-oint out to them the e vidence pro
duced m this film my visit to the United
States would eventually prove worthless. Basil
0 Connor, President of the Notional Founda-
tion for Infantile Paralysis, had p ublicly ac
knowledged that my concept a nd treatment
had saved the country from a national disaster
in 1943. However, as the medical s upervisors
of that part of my work which had achieved
this splendid objective were still under the im-
pression, apparently, that the treatment was
being given for a disease affecting the central
nervous system only, it can be understood the
great need of the evidence here produced. It
has also been acknowledged that the deformi-
ties, which have remained the u nsolved prob-
lem of aU practitioners, materialized during the
administration of the very best accepted ortho-
dox treatment. For confirmation of this state-
ment, I can refer you to the Journal of Bone
and Joint Surgery, published in October, 1941,
where Drs. McCarroll and Crngo, o f St. Louis,
admit that !iftv per cent of the patients with
1runk involvement dr>veloped these deformi-
6 1
tie-s during treatment Also, I refer you to the
a cknowledged standard textbook written by
Dr. Robert Lovett. In this b ook Dr. Lovett ex-
presses extreme satisfaction in the statement
that in a certain epidemic deformities had
been reduced to thirty-six per cent. Dr.
Lovett attributes this-and terms it a most sat-
isfactory situation- to careful medical super-
vision.
KENNY TREATMENT EUMINATES DEFORMITIES
All investigators, whether antagonistic or
kindly disposed have admitted that deformi-
ties have b een eliminated in all patients re-
ceiving the unadulterated Kenny treatment.
This includ es patients in England, Australia,
and the Unite d States of America. The im-
portance of this statement cannot be overesti-
mated , for it is recognized that when deformi-
ties exist, function of many muscles is impos-
sible a nd paralysis from this condition is the
result
the cause of the second symptom, inco -ordina-
tion, and the third, alienation. It has a damag-
ing effect upon the reflexes which will cause
an inco-ordinate q:mtraction of the muscle
fibre, and also pairi, upon stretching. This pain
contributes to the patient's mental effort being
put forth to prevent impulses from reaching
the opposing muscle group, causing this op-
posing group to • • • • • stretch @J) 357 I
with serious consequence. The
opposing group is deliberately alienated. The
fourth condition, d enervation, requires a thor-
ough study of good physical medicine in order
to preve nt d eformities and give back to the
patient a u seful and unencumbered existence.
This stud y includ es a perfect knowledge of:
I Th(' bodily uni ts a nd their individual and
collrctive function.
11. The paltorn of rno vc mc nl reql stc>rC'd in the
c· rt ·brum cmd l10w lo p rl'vcn1 its obliteration.
Ill I low to tcik1 ndvnntaqt', of the unav-oid-
abl1 rL • u11 i o[ ll 1t :;ymplorn :-: l!l ('nlionC'd c,bovo
tn pie v nl d,•for111 itic· ~ nnd 111n inla in C1 i:lrc1igllt
l lt Qll,l W.llil ] J ,1rJi}y l1 11•f.'! 1(ftllC1 .
lV A intim, t l.n,Jwl il 11 c,l Ill cku,si li o
tion, typing of the muscles and their method of
functioning to accomplish co-ordinate action.
Many statements have been made concern-
ing this work by those who have preferred to
view it from afar. Such statements, unfortu-
nately, are vague and unconvincing, either in
one way or another. For instance, the symp-
tom of spasm was alluded to in the January,
1944, issue of the Journal of the American
Medical Associa·tion as physiological nonsense.
While in the May issue the same condition was
alluded to as a scientific fact. On August 5,
)' Mr. Basil O'Connor, president of the National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, announced
J that the results of research regarding this dis-
ease had proved negative. In the New York
Herald Tribune, dated August 6, 1944, a contri•
bution appeared written by John J. O'N.Ul,
headed:
SCIENCE NEW CONCEPTlO?f OF
MYEUTIS SEEN AS msEASE or
F1RST AND NERVE AFrll
I, t1 d to, th seven profeaaora
9
 Tlitr,' 111<I\' 11.· so111t" /1>c,1/ c'h1111g1·s i11 iso/attid muscles condition This detection is of great dia gnostic
d11n11q tht ·l1,· 11tt· s/11111•, th,· 1w/11n• of ~,,l,ich must be
st11d1\:d f11rtha. This' c'l1!111[Jc if pr,•sc11t may be primary value and will assist materially in the proce-
i11 the 11111sc/l~s th,·msd,·es or may lie secondary to dure of taking preventa tive measures to com-
r hllllf /l'S in 111,· cmtra/ 11e1·1;ous system.
bat both the spread of the disease and the fur-
The same gentlemen, when alluding to the ther d evelopment of the symptoms in many
condition of spasm, state:
instances.
This co111millcc bcli1"z cs that while this does e.i-ist in
1

the earl\' rfl(Jses of the disrosc "it usually disappears DEMONSTRATION OF ACUTE CASES
Thc1-c 111ay be rcsidnal spasm which can
spv11t11111;ously.
lead to dcformit'j•." I will now deal with the film production and
It is in this statement and those already its message. The first scene is in the Isolation
quoted that the importance of the presentation ward of the Elizab eth Kenny Institute, Minne-
of this film is emphasized. You may notice lhat apolis, presenting the patients in the acute
admission and contradiction is again apparent. . stage sufferin g from the condition of spasm or
This is quite understandable, when it is re- shortening of the skin, subcutaneous tissue,
membered that according to the concept fascia and muscle fibre . The first picture pre-
taught in all medical schools, it was not resid- sents the pa tient, Allen, suffering from severe
ual spasm that led to contractures and de- spasm of posterior lower limb and trunk
formities but strong, normal muscles pulling a reas. There would be no incentive whatever
the weak, flaccid ones which were supposed to
be completely paralyzed and denervated. The
muscles in spasm were supposed tc be in nor-
mal contraction.
It will be understood that the conditions pre-
sented do not materialize spontaneously. There
is another condition preceding these symp-
toms. The films made on this subject demon-
strate as near as possible how to detect this
10 11
conct•pt 1s tciken into consideration Ilownvcr,
the attaC"k has brought about the condition of
mco ordination. The pattern of movement has
been disorganized It is the work of the well-
trained Kenny technician to restore this pat-
tern, and for this purpose the operator must be
familiar with the newer knowledge of the clas-
sification and typihg of the muscular system
which is taught at the Institute. You will see
the same condition present in the upper limb
area affected in the patient, Robert. This con-
dition of shortening of the area is very evident
in both of these patients. The central nervous
system correlated to either of the apparently
flaccid areas has not been affected in any de-
gree.
The next patient, Rosemary, has involvement
of the trunk. The tightness of the skin and
subcutaneous tissue may be judged by the
sharp, white appearance of the vertebrae
which are apparently trying to protrude
through the skin. The marked lordosis is
caused through this shortening, for, when it is
released, the deformity disappears. I have seen
patients moulded in plaster jackets in this posi-
tion and the deformity is registered permanent-
12
ly. You will see by a ltrmd mg the skin and
subcutaneous tissue the deformity of the spinal
column is overcome in one week. However,
the contour of the spinal muscles must receive
careful and mtelligent treatment and allow the
abdominals to shorten. This procedure requires
a knowledge of pediatrics and neurology on
the part of the Kenny technician.
You will next view patients reieased from
isolation and understand the necessity of an
observer trained in orthopedics, or the art of
keeping the body straight while examining the
patient. The nursing care in the isolation ward
has prepared the way by releasing the skin
and subcutaneou s tissue and opening the way
for the restoration of the normal reflexes. How-
ever, the more deep-seated fascia and muscle
fibre req uire attention to prevent the materiali-
zation of de formities. This procedure is de-
scribed in this group. The early detection of
the b e ginning of deformity and knowmg Ua,, ;,c,a,·...,,..,a-
cause and how to correct it is the ans.w.er
the statement made in the three countri(M
tioned, reading:
F. x f'l'cted deformities did not ntat,riolf_U it f1Jfli.
treatl"<l l>y Miss Ke11ny, but did ~ W
sp/inted ~atients, we ourselves tr,otttl.. 1Jf ~
othet1 su,rgeons.
13
 ~n the dUerent -ro~ps and individuals pre-
sen~ed, you ,,. .!}; see nvincing proof o f the
vaLle 01 tbs .illO\•.,lecige. You will see patients
wLo had received foe very best orthodox treat-
ment still helpless, hopeless cripples at the end
of long-term treatment. You will see, when
treatment has been changed and given a c-
cording to the new concept, a marked im-
provement. You will observe the stunted
growth, fixed deformities and awkward gait,
even with the 01d of artificial supports in the
patients treated prior to my arrival. You will
see more severely-affected cases treated with
the Kenny method by technicians trained in
this department of physical medicine and will
observe there is no reta rdation of g rowth, no
deformities, and that the patients walk with
ease and can ascend a nd descend stairs un-
aided. The great n ecessity of recognizing the
important part of the retention of the pattern
of movement cmd maintaining the subcon-
c1ous re cogrnbon of the b odily units and their
mcd1amc~ can be rcetdil y undors tood .
·11.e procedure of rn11.:.,cle ro r duc:ation is de-
:c:rib(~d 111 tlie book w rlltun in collaboration
wi th Dr. J F Poli!, r. uhlir•)ir cl by tlw Bruce Pub
11 lung Com po n y, Mrn nc Of oliF,, rind St. Paul,
lI
Minnesota. This picture presents my eoncept
of the d isease and how to prevent deformities.
The demonstration in the begmnmg of this
film imparts the knowledge of how to prevent
the deformities shown in the hnal picture The
importance of this demonstration cannot be
overestimated w hen it is understood how these
deformities prevent useful function of many
muscle groups which eventually become com-
pletely paralyzed, not by any direct effect of
the disease on the central nervous zystem or
even the part paralyzed, but the direct effect
of the disease of the soft tissue in the periphery
of which you will see indisputable evidence m
this pictur~
The unreleased
fascia and muscle fibre will cause the pei•t,-;~
nent alienation of the muscles and
9roups that cannot receive the
laxation of the part affected Bodt
and the nonaffected part
manently paralyzed Y
the patients preeentltd
patients Jean and RI.IDDv~
.,een in the compar
of the thigh and
owing to the marked genu valgum nnd the
nontreatment for inco-ordination and tho ob
literation of the true pattern of movement, afac,
the reduction of the consciousness of thn unib
of the lower limbs from three- thigh, leg, Gnd
foot-to one by immobilization, so she cannot
stand or walk alone.
Over a period of ten years on three conti-
nents, Europe, Australia, and America, I have
proved that when the conditions and symp-
toms shown in this film are correctly treated,
early deformities are abolished. During the
same period of time it has been admi ttcd by
all observers that when the disease is treated
from the viewpoint of a central nervous system
1
infection, only deformities develop in spite of
the best efforts of the orthopedic surgeon It
has been placed on record as late as the year
1941 that this happens in 50 ;, of the cases with
trunk involvement. The Australian investiga-
tors, Dr. W. Forster, M.D., M.S., F.R.C.S. (Eng-
land) and Dr. E. Price, M.D., F.R.C.S. (Eng-
land), emphatically stated, The reason why
should be eamestly sought. I earnestly hope
the explanation given in this film supplies that
reason. EUZABETH KENt IY
16