 of America sponsored by DuPont of Wilmington, Delaware make her a better things for better living through chemists to a nurse who fought with her own hands against a drip. Elizabeth Kenny the Australian nurse whose treatment of infantile paralysis has brought her worldwide acclaim. On our program Miss Kenny or sister as nurses are called in Australia will be portrayed by Madeleine Carroll. Madeleine Carroll as sister Kenny on the capital carried of America infantile paralysis has stopped through palace and Hubble taking its toll and crippled and disfigured bodies. But now in our lifetime a way has been found to help many of its victims. When Elizabeth Kenny was in her late teens a nearest McDonald was family physician and a close friend of the Kenny family. He called one afternoon as he so often did. Mrs. Kenny answered the door. Come in doctor. Good afternoon. I'm a bit early for tea but the wind's sharp and I thought you wouldn't mind my dropping in a bit earlier than usual. Of course not. Michael's not back yet but I'll go and have the kettle put on. Elizabeth here is Dr. McDonald. Oh Dr. McDonald I'm so glad to see you. How's my girl today. I've got something to show you remember that you let me have. Well look. He set me all dressed up. Please don't laugh. See this great paper I've stretched along his arm and here on his back to I built it up like muscle I use great paper because it will stretch just like the real muscle but to keep the arm in line I've had to stretch paper along both the under and upper side. Then as one he stretches like this the other side loosens isn't that me. That's quite good. You know what you've done. You've found out about opposing muscles all by yourself. The cattle I my girl to me you still think about being a mess. Oh yes I think about it all the time here we are some good hot feet for the doctor should I poor my right Elizabeth you know doctor it seems to me that this girl of mine thinks of nothing but caring for the stick and what's wrong with that. Nothing I suppose only well Michael and I aren't sure we want to become a nurse we rather think at high time she settled down and thought about getting married to give you a good report you want to come to pass Elizabeth has a mind of her own that's evidently. She decided to mess. That's what it would be you got my word for ages I've been up in the hills and how is it out there very bad just now that's why I'm here Jerry you must send a telegram for me right away what's the matter sister I don't quite know that's the trouble but Jerry it's something terrible well you sit down here and I'm happy down as you say it but I have it written down here if you can read my writing to Dr. Enius McDonald chief surgeon to the general hospital Queen. Six children here seriously ill do not recognize symptoms but all have similar manifestations fever high nausea and scramble violent persuasion in two cases neck so stiff that patient cannot touch chin to chest please tell me what to do. Sister that sounds bad Jerry you should see those poor children they're in terrible pain and I'll tell the operator on the other hand to hurry to reply that you're waiting. That's the coming through from to one of the sister Kenny. What does he say. Inventile paralysis. No no. Do the best you can with the symptoms presenting themselves. Signed that. That's not much help. But I have to do what he says the best I can. Under both all their boys here we are quickly so the wind won't strike then it's not true that you must stay out of this room all the time now I thank God you're back tell me what happened or it's getting worse sister then it can't go over at all now I try to help him but he screams if I even touch him what we're going to do sister you try the hot salt application yes but he just couldn't stand the weight of it or the linseed closest either I suppose no we must do something you can't just let him lie there or get doctor we're here I doubt if he'd know what to do either what you mean did you get some word from the doctor yes he said we just have to do what we could he wasn't able to advise but didn't even know what the trouble was yes he knew more than it's infantile paralysis now Mrs Morgan you must stand by me and help we'll find a way we must I'm sorry Danny I want to look at you know don't be afraid I'll be very gentle let me just put my fingers along your arm here where it's all drawn up now the end aside I'm all through Danny's there Mrs Morgan I think the reason he can't move is because this inner muscle is drawn up so short see there I do tight like that it prevents the opposite muscle out here from moving either yes but how do you relax them that's what I've got to find out I I'm still sure it's heat we need but we must think of something lighter weight than salt or meal well would maybe a sheet to my but no it wouldn't retain the heat long enough but maybe wool how do you some old soft wool blanket yes I'll get we'll cut them up in strips and then wring them out of boiling water and apply them I think that may do the trick here's the blanket sister and and here's the hot water on the stove good I want to lift you up yes ever so slow now we'll wrap this around your chest now one for your shoulder now for your arm am I hurting you this time Danny not so much sister fine now for the other arm any better I can't tell yet now Mrs Morgan we must find some more blankets but we'll have to change these as soon as they begin to cool off yes how you're feeling child I don't hurt so much that's the boy Mrs Morgan I think this is it look how much easier he breathes already he does I must ride over to the Burley child now and see what I can do for her and then I'll be back remember to keep Judith in the back room away from Dan I will system please come back soon I'll be back as soon as I can and every day until we get this little he's falling asleep seems like a miracle God bless you goodness you look tired my dear it's been a long weekend and no sleep to mention how's Danny for two days now he's had almost no pain at all this is Morgan I think we're out of the woods the other children rest quietly too but sister yeah what is it can't move what he's not in pain but he can't move Danny yes sister let's see you try to lift your arm sister I can't see never mind then Danny don't cry this is Morgan even in this short time it looks as if his nerves have lost their control over his muscles you mean you'll never be able to move not unless we can teach him how all over again I wonder how there must be a way Danny I'm going to try to move your arm a bit for you now you must help me but just by thinking don't try to do anything yourself see just watch me and put your mind hard onto what I do now up goes your elbow out turns your wrist up goes your elbow out turns your wrist while listening to Madeline Carroll as sister Kenny on the cavalcade of America sponsored by DuPont after days and weeks of patient experimentation all the children were up and running again as our play continues sister Kenny has gone back to to Womba to see her old friend Dr. McDonald well my girl you've been through a lot these past few months well for a nurse fresh to the job to have to face a pool of epidemic all alone is baptism by fire for certain I was pretty scared I can tell you should be able to come into the outlands to help you now tell me about the children how many did you lose none none that was great good luck a couple of them were very sick but they're all well now you told me to treat them as best as I could and I did that's blended that didn't mean how badly are they crippled crippled why they're not crippled at all not crippled what do you mean they're as well as can be well that's right you mean they can move and walk as though they hadn't had for you exactly but you said in your telegram that you let me to believe they were severe cases that paralysis had already set in it had they couldn't move but cases like that just don't recover he did but what did you do I applied heat I went blank it's out of boiling water and then with my hands I worked on the muscles until I got them back into functioning I can't believe it we must have diagnosed it wrong come into the war here and I'll show you what real infantile paralysis looks like but that's just the way they were like that exactly your children two or three days after they became sick my children appeared like though it's incredible if I've not known you since you were a baby I think you were imagining things the doctor what happened to those children over there those are the convergent ones just a little bound up that's supposed to be the newest method and best idea of how to treat them splinting and immobilization as soon as paralysis shows itself plenty yes that way we can support the parts of the body that have lost the power of movement that's the prescribed method doctor what have I done just the opposite oh I'm sorry I never knew you needn't worry my girl your children got where you say those you're looking at we'll never walk again if what you say is so and I have no reason to doubt you you have done a great thing but we must be sure and when we are sure then you must convince the men of medicine and that's the story gentlemen and all I can add is that all the children are well again sister Kelly let me question one point you say the muscles and spasm what makes you think so my doctor I can see it right in front of me can't you haven't you noticed involuntary contractions well when the one muscle is shortened that way the opposing muscle is prevented from contracting so that all movement stops do you realize that you're challenging medical opinion by claiming of the muscles in your polio cases are taught rather than weak and flexed I do for that is what I have observed to happen the muscle you thought was affected is perfectly all right it's the opposite muscle to which you've paid no attention that is paralyzed ridiculous miss Kenny I must tell you that the Royal Commission believes there to be particularly damaging to adopt your non-splinting method owing to its failure to prevent injury due to muscle stretching and deformity due to muscular imbalance gentlemen let's simplify the talk we're all striving for the same thing to make human beings especially children suffer a little less we all want that give me a chance to show you that I found out how for I have please let me do it the doctors held firm against her no beds were placed at sister Kenny's disposal in any hospital to allow her to prove her claims but in nineteen thirty seven and eight there was a severe epidemic in the Australian state of Victoria and the staunch hearted healer working as she always had without pay was at last allowed to show what she could do and she did two years later a grateful Australian government sent her to the United States to demonstrate her methods to American doctors miss Kenny I'm not surprised at this story of your reception here in America you certainly have been passed like a hot break from one medical hand to another that's an accurate description all right but I am surprised at why you came over here at all you've had such a time at home didn't you know it would be the same story over again here I suppose I did doctor Cole but I had to come anyhow don't forget after all I'm a nurse not a doctor until I can get you medical men who have the scientific authority to say I'm right the job won't be done I see your point besides you have so many more infantile paralysis cases here in the United States and Canada than we have at home or anywhere else in the world you know that I guess I had to come where the fight looked thickest Miss Kenny can't blame us for being skeptical after all you ask us to turn upside down everything that we've been taught and worked on doctors have a great responsibility to the people can't do such things lately Miss Kenny your terminology is unique if I may say so take your word in coordination for example I've never heard it in this connection what do you mean by it well doctor Knapp I see it this way a child with polio is like a man trying to lift a heavy weight by facial contortions alone he is substituting useless and wrong muscles for the ones that he should be using to do what he has to do and we've got it again seems fairly clear to me doctor Cole let's not waste more time in talk let me work here at your Minneapolis clinic and I'll show you what I mean by all these things doctor Knapp I'm trying to give Miss Kenny a chance of what do you say all right doctor Paul I'm grateful why not give her that child that was brought in this morning so that's hardly fair that child can't survive the day she's the one I want then what's her condition doctor Paul completely paralyzed on the left side the head hangs back at an angle so that she can't swallow needless to say she can hardly breathe please let me go to her here is the patient doctor I mean Miss Kenny that is all doctor what do you think a bad case the odds are 20 to 1 against us I'd say but if you'll let me I'll go to work in your hands we want the nurse to do get me boiling water on a laundry ringer then I need some old soft blankets a pair of scissors and some rubberized cloth we'll have to change the packs every 15 minutes all day and night here wait till I roll up my sleeves sister Kenny you're ready with the water and blankets again good how is our breathing it's still pretty difficult what do you think the respirator in a little while if the next two packs don't help listen sister a vocal cord loosening look and neck is relaxing good I'd say the odds are dropping keep the water boiling I'll sit with her through the night morning sister Kenny had a strange night they tell me yes doctor Paul but she's still alive you know I think I'll reduce the odds against her to two to one already you say that give me two more days and I hope I can say more sister Kenny I just come from that polio case you're at work on the astonishing what's happened first I'll bet you 20 to 1 that Rita will walk let's show the doctors what we can do where should we begin sister how about the rail is major move it all by yourself Petra rail is major that's it child now again amazing sister can I do the Lattice and Miss Dorsey next all right Rita that's fine one small doctor Paul I think next week we can let Rita walk around a bit sister Kenny you win your bit and anything else you want mr Kenny has one other thing since that first case in America and against odds almost as great she won round after round against the dread disease she won to the interest and finally the support of the medical profession don't misunderstand this treatment of sister Kenny's is not a cure much less of course is it a prevention you can see that but whether spinal cord cells are not themselves destroyed this method minimizes the after effects and often makes possible return to normal functioning as Kenny has found symptoms and visible findings in this disease of which we had no idea she has demonstrated the disease we did not know existed all this scientific acclaim for work I've struggled so long to get accepted is naturally very welcome to me but infantile paralysis is just as dreadful as ever it still strikes whenever and wherever it will the job is not yet over it's barely begun but now there is help my two hands are rapidly being multiplied a thousand times and a surely as man has beaten back the other ravages this one will be forced to the wall I'm glad to have played a part are of the evening Madeleine cow I know that you will join in my wish that the applause you have just given be transferred to the woman who rightfully deserves it she is sister Kenny and it is my privilege to present her to you now speaking to you from Minneapolis I am particularly glad that my life work has been pictured tonight on the DuPont Cavalcade Wilmington Delaware you know was one of the first places I visited in America with the objective of establishing a clinic doctors nurses and physiotherapists from that city were taught in Minneapolis and are now carrying on the good work in the Doris Memorial Clinic of the Wilmington General Hospital three years ago by Australian medical men it was announced publicly that for the first time in the history of medicine a satisfactory treatment had been evolved for infantile paralysis four months later at the request of the same group of doctors I came to America to present this great discovery to your medical men my premier had written announcing my visit to Mr. Basil O'Connor president of the National Foundation for infantile paralysis it was a foundation that supplied the financial aid enabling Dr. Wallace Cole and his colleagues in Minneapolis to investigate the method thoroughly to this combination the country owes a debt of gratitude to them and all mothers and fathers everywhere I dedicate this work for the children of America you have just heard sister Elizabeth Kenny speaking to you from Minneapolis week ladies and gentlemen on Monday December 7th Cavalcade will commemorate our first year of war with a special broadcast in which our star and narrator will be the poet of the American people Carl Sanberg our program for that night a panoramic picture of Americans at war will be called road to victory he will be again next Monday when Cavalcade presents road to victory a special broadcast to be narrated by Carl Sanberg Cavalcade is pleased to advise his listeners that RKO will shortly produce a film based on the life and work of sister Kenny tonight's dramatization was by Norris Houghton the orchestra and musical score were under the direction of Don Boris this is Clayton Collier sending best wishes from DuPont the National Broadcasting Company