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Girls Exercising: with Paddles (o Cure Spinal Curvature from Infantile Paralysis.Tn Combination with
These Movements There are Deep Breathing Exercises for Every One. This Carries a Larger
Volume of Oxygen Into the Lungs i?nd Improves the Mood.
Exercising IJefore a Mirror for the Cure of Infantile Paralysis Deformities. By Concentrating the
Gaze and Mental Attention LTpon the Defective Part While Exercising It, Hlood Is Draws to It
and Nerve-Control Restored.
Medical Science's Best Exercises and Devices for Keeping
Victims of the Cruel Scourge from
Becoming Life-Long Cripples
Pushing the Squares. An !0\ereit?o
to Restore Ihe Nerve i'orce and
Museular^Aetiqn lo (Mr Paralyzed
Left Lop; irf -si(hild.
know that there i- no cerium
of cases it leaves the little victims crip
A great problem, therefore, in connec
tion with tliis disease, which is causing
Buch cruel ravages mixing New York
children, is. What ..an he done to im
prove tho result mi; ;aralysis'.'
Most remarkable result: in euriug re
cent and Itmstanding rases of paralysis
havh been, obtained by Or. ilenry \V.
Frauenthai. phys'^ian-in-cliicf of the New
York Hospital for Deformities and Joint
Diseases. T ey are described in a very
cure for infantile paralysis,
and that in a hirpe proportion
pled.
n
Interesting now work by Dr. Frauenlhal
anil Or. .Jacolyn Van Yliet .Manning, the
epidemiologist of infantile paralysis.
Among the methods of treatment de
scribed are therapeutic exercises per
formed before a mirror, massage, passive
motion and various applications of the
eleeirie current.
Hv those exercises a withered muselo
not functionally destroyed may be re
stored to function, and uninjured muscles
are directed to restore the injured ones.
The electric enrren appear? among
other effects to cause n contraction of
the blood vessels, which then relieves
the pressure within the spinal column
which is the cause > ' the paralysis and
pain.
I\lo<t novel ati-l interesting are the ex
ercises performed before a mirror. These
are in a sense a form of mind cure, sinco
they depend in part on drawing blood
and nutrition t? > the part thought about,
and looked at in the mirror.
li has been proved that mental concen
tration has a stimulating effect on
growth, whether in intellectual develop
ment through the windy of higher mathe
matics or in muscular development ae
cotnplished by simply gazing at the re
flection of a particular muscle or muscle
group in a mirror Tit- nerve-control
and nerve efficiency displayed by the
Oriental dancer can be developed by any
person, in any voluntary set of muscles,
if a proper effort is mad for the devel
opment of sufficient nerve force and
nerve control.
The concentration of the mind on the
muscular effort carries blood to the con
trolling nerve centres-, producing growth
and dewdopmcnt in the conducting nerve
Girls Exercising on Tables for Spinal Curvvlmc and Par?ii>.sis ol l he
Extremities. These Exercises Correcl Their Deformities While
IJr-nefiling Ihe Hear! and Lungs.
trunk to it8 most distant filaments. Thus
the limb crippled by Infantile paralysis
receives a new blood supply and itf?
withered muscles are brought back to
activity.
A fact that led up 1o this method of
treatment was the demonstration by Pro
fessor Anderson, of Yale, that when a
person, placed on a body balance, eon
cent rates his mind on one extremity of
bis body, the balance tips in the direc
tion of this limb, showing that a flow of
blood to that part has been secured.
It lias been observed in post-mortem
examinations of the human brain that
when motion of an extremity has been
frequently practised by mental concen
tration the convolutions of the brain
presiding over ibis motor area are in
creased. The securing of ample nourish
ment and the absence of undue fatigue
being secured, the stimulus transmitted
from the brain to the extremities of the
body depends' on the calibration of the
conducting nerves, as the diameter of
copper wire regulates the volume of elec
iric current.
After an attack of infantile paralysis
these normal conditions of nourishment
are not found in the nerve trunks. The
anterior toots in the affected parts are
decreased in size. The motor fnnction
has been seriously impaired and there is
a condition of excessive excitability
"which produces undue fatigue. In ad
dition, some nerve filaments have suf
fered degeneration and atrophy. The use
of the mirror, then, in infantile paralysis
has tlie effect of producing:
1. Muscular contractions to prevent
atrophy and promote regeneration.
2. Drawing blood as % nourishment to
secure repair and growth of impaired
nerve trunks. This also tills up muscles
and restores growth of cartilage and
bone.
Treatment, is given before a large, well
lighted mirror, so that the patient may
see all parts of his body clearly. No
clothing is worn which would hamper
movement or obscure the view. The
feet, particularly, must be untrammelled,
in order that they may have the freedom
of movement which they so seldom enjoy
under ordinary conditions.
In corrections of the trunk, particularly
lateral curvatures, which are so frequent,
the compound mirror is used and is so ar
ranged that the patient can easily ob
serve. the movement of the spinal and
other muscles of tho back.
The mirror must extend"to the floor,
because in all foot-work and moat of the
leg-work, aud also in tho stretching and
rising to cure lateral curvature, the
child's vision would be obscured by a
mirror hung above ihe floor line.
Individual treatment is desirable, and
in this way Prs. Frauenlhal and Manning
have obtained the best results. However,
in institutions, children over three re
ceive instruction in groups of six or
more. Such daily classes are held at the
Xew York Hospital for Deformities and
Joint Diseases.
When the child observes the desired
muscular action taking place In the mir
ror and realizes that his effort is bearing
fruit after a few days of work, it is sur
prising the excellent, effort he will put
forth. In iho beginning light massage or
tapping of the muscle will aid its action.
The inspector must make clear to tho
patient ihe muscles to be brought into
use. The patient must make the con
traction slowly to produce, the greatest
Copyright, 1 f?1 ft, hy thr Stnr Company
effect. "When the contractile force is
not sufficient to move the limb the In
structor aids in I lie desired motion, at the
same time compelling the patient to make
all mental effort towards its attainment.
As the muscle becomes stronger the
needed assistance is lessened. The muscle
is allowed to take up more of tho work,
run the whole of the exercise and receives
the maximum amount of work possible in
its weakened condition. Tho exercise
must, always stop short of the fatigue
point, for fatigue will produce neuras
thenia.
The muscles most frequently involved
in infantile paralysis are those of tho
hips. Placing the child on a chair in a
comfortable position before the mirror,
the instructor brings the foot up to a
right angle with the log; ho then urgos
the child to aid in bringing up the small
toes at tho side of the foot through an
arc of about thirty degrees. If the child
cannot do this alone, the instructor
places one hand on tho knee to keep tho
leg in position and the other under the
foot; this greatly aids tho child's effort
to make the desired contraction.
This is repeated several times, but
never to the fatigue point. Bach set of
muscles is contracted in a similar man
ner. If the motion cannot be brought
about, the mental effort must still be
made and will be helpful in the end.
Forty-three patients have been enable*'
to walk by this method who have been
incapable of doing ho during a period
of from nine months to four years.
In many cases the doctors have to
Jiandle paralyzed muscles on one side of
the spine and unopposed overeontracted
healthy muscles on the opposite side.
Securing a permanent result is depend
ent on the success In equalizing tho
muscle force.
The alarming increase in the respira
tion rate during the acute stage of in
fantile paralysis shows that practically
every case suffers from some involve
ment of the respiration centre. The fatal
cases are usually terminated by paralysis
of the respiratory tract. Every case af
fecting the upper part of tho body pre
sents some atrophy of the muscies of
the ribs. The majority of these paralytic
childreu, whether left with injuries of
the upper or lov.-er extremities, show a
very poor chest expansion, which looks
like an inheritance from a tuberculous
ancestor, but is simply a result of tho
disease.
To overcome this serious defefct, as
well as to provide oxygenation for all
the body tissues, breathing exercises arc
made a constant accompaniment of the
treatment. The host results come from
treatment instituted a. early as possible,
as the original paralysis tends to be
come worse if neglected. The doctors
have, however, obtained complete resto
ration of function as late as eight months
after the acute stage in cases referred
to as hopeless and marked by complete
loss of function.
Mechanical apparatus has been de
vised for the use of the. paralytic with
muscles atrophied from the waist down
to help him to walk. In numerous cases
of paralysis it. has been found that tho
Iliopsoas muscle, which raises the thigh,
is wholly unaffected, though connected
muscles have been paralyzed and may
be utilized in walking, when the flaccid
limbs arc stiffened and supported by ap
paratus. Tho doctors state that any type
: Oreat Britain Ttights Reserved.
of apparatus that is bandaged to the limb
or is attached with straps and buckles
is detrimental to the paralyzed muscles.
They are liable to cause muscle atrophy.
Another prevailing evil is the encas
ing of paralyzed muscles in plaster of
paris or starch bandages, thus adding
confinement to the already d(imaccd
musculature, wli'-n every effort shoul,!
be made to retain the lone of the muscle
until it again comes under the control
of the will and renews its functions.
More damage can be done with this type
of apparatus than can be regained by
these muscles in a year's treatment.
No appliance should be used that is
not removed daily to permit treatment by
physical therapy. The pressure of bed
clothes on the paralytic foot nnd ankle,
for instance, may be obviated by the use
of a light, aluminum splint, applied to
the heel and sole of the foot and project
in?; an inch or two beyond the great toe.
Spiral steel springs ami India rubber
bands have been utilized with great in
genuity to replace hopelessly paralyzed
muscles. Thus an artificial thigh muscle
has been arranged by two strips of stout
gartering which cross the knee obliquely
and are attached to the leg splints right
and left above the knee and below it.
The experts emphasize the importance
of beginning mechanical treatment ns
soon as possible and not waiting until
the paralytic condition has become fixed
or undergone a retrograde change. A
week after the subsidence of fever in
given as a good time to begin treatment.
Light, electric treatment may even bo
given before
tho pain of
i h e a c u 1 o
stage has
passed.
Electr 1 c i t y
gives an. initia
tive to new
growth and in
hibits destruc
tive tissue
change. It may
l)e employed in
the form of high
frequency cur
rent, static ma
chine, X-ray, thp
galvanic and far
ad ic currents.
Two (lavs'
treatment with
t lie high fre
quency current
along the spinr
cured an old
case of paraly
sis of ho th
legs.
An unfamiliar
employment of
the currcnt is
to drive strych
nine directly in
to the muscles
and nerve-end
ings. Strych
nine is the bent
tonic for weak
ness of these
parts.
.?Electric stim
ulation also has
the effect of in
creasing the cal
ibre of a uerve
weakened by tho
paralysis, there*
Treating a Paralyzed Baby's I/eg
with Light Rays.
by Increasing the transmission energy. In
this kind of treatment the object aimed
at is "stimulation of the ganglionla
neuron through Its peripheral branch."
Many cripples who had been pro
nounced hopeless by physicians and con
demned ?o lose the use of both limb?
have been cured by electricity, massage
smd mirror exena&es. One cure is men
tioned of a person who had been crippled
for fifteen years.
.Massage should begin the moment the
acute inflammatory symptoms have dip
appeared and bo kept up even though no
visible improvement, is made. The im
provoment may come suddenl".
Special Exercise to Build Up the Chest of Paralysis Vic
tims, Which Is Almost Always Withered
Even in Slight Cases.