THE CASE OF MENZIES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 81, 3 October 1923, Page 11

THE CASE OF MENZIES

EIGHTEEN YEARS A CRIPPLE

FATHER DECLARES THERE IS HOURLY IMPROVEMENT;

(BY TELEGKAPB.—SPECIAL TO THB POBI.)

'AUCKLAND, This Day. In connection with the Hickson miseion has been the remarkable recovery of a young man whose left eye,' arm, and leg had been affected since an attack of infantile paralysis when he was two years old. It -was reported last evening that the patient is a son of Mr. A. L. Menzies, an officer of the Department of Health. The young man is now aged 20. "There has undoubtedly been -a' rtr£! mendous improvement in my eon's; con-* dition," Mr. Menzies stated. "01 course we do riot know if it ig going to be lasting, but we can, oplyjiopeiib will be so. .When he had infantile" paralysis, we had him treated by. all the doctors in Auckland, but only one, D#. De Clive Lowe, gave .us any hope that he ■would ever walk. ■ The doctor was, however, .more concerned about the left eye. When the. boy was seven years old we: got'him to--take a. step or two, but his ankles used rto -, rest on the ground, the legs 7 being thin and like threads. . We had him: massaged and kept him in steel frames, and by the time he: ■was 12 years old he was able to go to school with help. ' Then, when he was 16 years old, he Became stronger, though one leg was very much shorter than the other, and he was able to walk fairly well, but with a /heavy limp, and was very tottery on his'feet. The left eye was in a terrible state, and he could see onl> six inches away. He has worn spectacles all his life, and, of .course is still wearing them.' You must not run away with the; idea that he was able to leave his glasses at the church.

"My son i was taken to St. Matthew's Church by.'lira.' Menzies, and returned home at half-past twelve. I was at home, and> I at once observed a difference for the better in. the eye. It was small, but as I had watched the eye for 20 years, I thought •I. knew. I did I came home from work at half - past six to-day.;. There was a marked improvement,- and T tested and found that my son. could pick out-colours at fifteen feet. ' He had.never been able' to do.that! with his left eye bejfore. He could also see a bunch" of keysVvi'cigarette, , and other things ;I held, out.-The two eyes now work ;in harmony when he looks to the right or to the left, aiid that has never happened before. There is, of course, room for.'.improyement, yet strangely enough the right eye isaffecte.a inasmuch as it is not quite norv mal.'., v/\. ■■' ;■..■. -. ' - "The boy has now full control over the left arm. from the'elbow down," continued Mr. Menzies. "He . can grip :me.;like a policeman with his left nand,-7and .before lie would tremble like a leaf if he used the arnrat all. Just now he held out 3 glass of water quite steadily, in'his left hand. The left leg also is steadily improving, and growing stronger. Both legs are deformed, very thin, and huge at the knee—a typical paralysis knee. The left leg grow in under the Tight, and was bent in from the straight. It has gradually improved, until now (11 o'clock), it is pretty well straight. The lad even bent down and picked up a coin, and that is the first time he nas ever done that.

'Let me tell you the particulars I had given you are all facts, and I may as well say straight out that I am not a church .man. lam afraid I have scarcely been to church once since I was married, but my son has been a be.liever in Jesu3 Christ before he could read. Please understand that lam not carried away by •any ridiculous emoj' v t have seen t°e improvement, and believe it is what we have watchedand waited, for for 20 long years, and at last we have got it. You can realise that our family is more pleased than words can express. If to-mor-row our boy is like he is now, we will •ii b.?,,P, leased- If he goes back we will still be thankful that we saw some improvement."