REPLY TO ADVERSE REPORT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20929, 7 January 1938, Page 7

REPLY TO ADVERSE REPORT

WAR ON DREADED DISEASE

INFANTILE PARALYSIS TREATMENT

SISTER KENNY’S VIGOROUS

DEFENCE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received January 7, 12 a.m.) MELBOURNE, January 6. Sister Kenny has issued a statement that the report of the Queensland Royal Commission contained misstatements and misrepresentations and she claimed that opportunities for testing her work in the best circumstances had been ignored. She said that owing to obstacles being pl-ced in her way in Victoria, she was leaving that State and would return to England.

The New South Wales Minister cf Health stated that the Queensland report seemed at variance With the report of the Medical Committee which had investigated the cases of infantile paralysis treated in Sydney.

The Sister Kenny method of treating infantile paralysis has been rejected by the Queensland Royal Commission, comprising five doctors, which was appointed two years ago by the State Government. A summary of the findings declares that except in one important principle there is little difference between the Sister Kenny method and the orthodox treatment, and where the difference occurs the orthodox method is the better one. The report states that out of forty-seven patients examined the majority showed no effective improvement. ATTITUDE OF QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT MONEY WELL SPENT United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received January 7, 12.5 a.m.) BRISBANE, January 6. The Minister of Health (Mr Hanlon), referring to the adverse medical report on Sister Kenny’s treatment of infantile paralysis, said: “The Government was satisfied that the money spent on the Kenny clinics had been well spent. INTEREST IN ENGLAND VIEWS OF ENGLISH AUTHORITIES United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright

(Received January 7, 12.8 a.m.) MELBOURNE, January 6.

Despite the rejection of her methods in Queensland, Sister Kenny will remain in Melbourne to conduct a clinic for the treatment of infantile paralysis under Government auspices, at Hampton. Neither the British Medical Association, nor any other organisation in Victoria, has placed any obstacle in Sister Kenny’s way.

The Victorian Minister of Health (Sir John Harris) has received a letter from Dr F. H. Mills, of London, supporting Sister Kenny’s treatment. He declares it is a vast improvement on the orthodox system. Her work, he said is under the observation of celebr ted physicians and surgeons, who agree that the method is entirely new and their report Will be available in six weeks’ time.