Work Elizabeth Kenny

1 work

1.1 world war i
1.2 return queensland
1.3 polio treatment
1.4 in u.s.

work

in 1909, kenny returned nobby , assumed role of qualified nurse after paying tailor make nurse s uniform, complete cap , cape. using money earned brokering produce in guyra, opened cottage hospital (st. canice s) in 1911 @ clifton. kenny provided convalescent , midwifery services @ st. canice s, , treated first confirmed cases of infantile paralysis (as polio known) under supervision of local lodge doctor.

kenny claimed in 1943 autobiography (co-authored martha ostenso) treated first cases of infantile paralysis in 1910 while working alone bush nurse in clifton district. episode romanticised in 1946 film sister kenny, featuring rosalind russell (who befriended kenny). surveillance records 1900s show infantile paralysis rare disease in queensland prior world war i, although there evidence subacute cases brought kenny s cottage hospital in clifton. in memoir, kenny claimed baffled cases encountered , sought assurance dr. aeneas mcdonnell. wired back, ...treat them according symptoms present . sensing muscles tight, did mothers around world did: applied hot compresses , weights made woollen blankets legs. kenny wrote in autobiography little girl woke relieved , said, please, want them rags legs . several children recovered no serious aftereffects. many years passed before kenny treated else might have had polio. story of kenny s first encounter acute case of polio 20th-century medical legend, there no documented record other memoir. chief witness discovery of method treating poliomyelitis aeneas mcdonnell, died before story publicised.

nurse elizabeth kenny in august 1915


world war i

in 1915, kenny volunteered serve nurse in war. not officially qualified, nurses badly needed; accepted , assigned dark ships : transports ran lights off between australia , england carrying war goods , soldiers 1 way, , wounded soldiers , trade goods on return voyage. kenny served on these dangerous missions throughout war, making sixteen round trips (plus 1 around world, via panama canal). in 1917 earned title sister (which in australian army nurse corps equivalent of first lieutenant), , used title rest of life. criticised doing (in british commonwealth, reserved qualified nurses), kenny officially promoted rank during wartime service. during final months of war, served few weeks matron in soldiers hospital near brisbane , honourably discharged , qualified pension.

press reports australia during 1930s quote kenny saying developed method while caring meningitis patients on troopships during world war i.

return queensland

sister kenny house, nobby, queensland

although exhausted war service, kenny supervised temporary hospital in nobby had been established care victims of 1919 influenza epidemic. when epidemic subsided, kenny travelled guyra recuperate (without success) , returned europe visit doctors there. after return nobby, called guyra girlhood friend care daughter (daphne cregan), disabled known cerebral diplegia. kenny s 3 years of rehabilitative work child, plus experience sick , wounded men during world war i, foundation later work in polio treatment , rehabilitation. elizabeth kenny adopted daughter called mary stewart, went on 1 of top researchers.

instead of settling down @ home in expected (a spinsterhood dedicated caring mother), kenny continued work nurse mother s home, being brought patients in sidecar of motorcycle or automobile. when family friend s daughter sylvia injured falling path of horse-drawn plough, friend called kenny help. kenny improvised stretcher cupboard door, fastened sylvia , accompanied 26 miles (42 km) dr. mcdonnell s toowoomba office. sylvia recovered, owing kenny s careful attention during transport. kenny improved stretcher use local ambulance services, , next 3 years marketed sylvia stretcher in australia, europe , united states. turned profits on australian country women s association, administered sales , manufacturing.

polio treatment

sister kenny clinic, rockhampton hospital, 1939

when sales of sylvia stretcher declined, kenny returned home nursing. during 1 of sales journeys, met family arranged visit station west of townsville in 1929 care niece maude, disabled polio. after 18 months under kenny s care, maude able walk, return townsville, marry , conceive child. newspapers in townsville took story, referring cure. in 1932, queensland suffered highest number of polio cases in 30 years; following year, several local people helped kenny set rudimentary polio-treatment facility under canopies behind queens hotel in townsville. in few months (after further success local children), moved bottom floor of hotel. first official evaluation of sister kenny s work took place in townsville in 1934, under auspices of queensland health department (qhd). evaluation of work led establishment of kenny clinics in several cities in australia. sister kenny clinic in outpatients building of rockhampton base hospital listed on queensland heritage register.

elizabeth kenny clinic, corner of george , charlotte streets, brisbane, 1938

during these years, kenny developed clinical method , gained recognition in australia. adamantly opposed immobilising children s bodies plaster casts or braces. @ time, kenny requested permitted treat children during acute stage of disease hot compresses (as claimed have done in clifton before war). however, doctors not allow treat patients until after acute stage of disease or until tightness (kenny used word spasm later) subsided. instituted designed regimen of passive exercises designed recall function in unaffected neural pathways (much had done maude). on own, began treatment of patient in acute stage in george street clinic in brisbane, afterwards transferring ward 7 polio clinic in brisbane general hospital. child (and others) recovered fewer aftereffects placed in braces. in 1937, published introductory book work , began (the treatment of infantile paralysis in acute stage), later published in united states. comprehensive appraisal of methods published in collaboration dr. john pohl in 1943.

between 1935 , 1940, kenny travelled extensively throughout australia, helping set clinics. made 2 trips england, set treatment clinic in st. mary s hospital near carshalton; rehabilitation facility still exists there. between 1936 , 1938, queensland government royal commission evaluated kenny s work , published report of queensland royal commission on modern methods treatment of infantile paralysis in 1938. critical comment (because sister kenny opposed using splints , plaster casts immobilise areas of polio patients affected disease) was: abandonment of immobilization grievous error , fraught grave danger, in young patients cannot co-operate in re-education. stated clinic (then in brisbane) admirable . commissioners strongest objections against queensland government, funding kenny s work when clinic not under purview of bma. queensland government rejected report, continuing support kenny s work.

in 2009 part of q150 celebrations, kenny regimen polio treatment announced 1 of q150 icons of queensland role iconic innovation , invention .

in u.s.

in 1940, new south wales government sent kenny (and adopted daughter mary, had become expert in kenny s method) america present clinical method treating polio victims american doctors. after sea journey sydney los angeles , railway san francisco, chicago, new york city, chicago , mayo clinic in rochester, minnesota, given chance demonstrate work in minneapolis, minnesota. doctors miland knapp , john pohl (who headed polio treatment centres there) impressed, , told should stay. found apartment kenny , mary; several years later, city of minneapolis gave them house. city kenny s base in america 11 years. in 1943 letter british medical journal, kenny noted there have been upwards of 300 doctors attending classes @ university of minnesota .

during time, kenny treatment centres opened throughout america; best-known sister kenny institute in minneapolis (now courage kenny rehabilitation institute), facility in new jersey medical center , favourite, ruth home in el monte, california. received honorary degrees rutgers university , university of rochester , lunched u.s. president franklin d. roosevelt, himself polio sufferer, discussing treatment @ warm springs. in 1951, kenny headed gallup poll s most-admired women s list, woman in first 10 years of list displace eleanor roosevelt #1 spot. sister kenny foundation established in minneapolis support , work throughout united states.

kenny s success controversial; many australian doctors (and british medical association) questioned results , methodology. raphael cilento, in charge of qhd evaluation, wrote report complimentary critical. kenny replied publicly, fiercely taking cilento task criticisms (unusual self-taught bush nurse @ time in australia). response caused contentious relationship among kenny, cilento, bma , australian medical association (ama). during stay in united states, kenny faced many sceptical doctors , needed american medical association s support method. ama director @ time saw ignorant quack seeking money own gain . doctors found initial professional scepticism groundless when saw effects kenny s method had on patients (both children , adults). kenny subject of american magazine articles; however, victor cohn (who wrote first detailed biography of life , work) noted pursuit of publicity led journalists tire of campaign. during first year in minneapolis, national foundation infantile paralysis (nfip) paid personal expenses, , financing , arranging trials of work; support ceased, however, after series of disagreements. kenny determined , outspoken woman, irritated nfip director (and many doctors). method of treatment continued used treat hundreds of children suffering polio.

in recognition of work, in february 1950, president harry truman signed congressional bill giving kenny right enter , leave usa wished without visa. honour had been granted once before, french marquis gilbert du motier, marquis de lafayette, leader in american war of independence.