Lesson 14 And They Shall Walk

Sister Elizabeth Kenny gazed helplessly at her patient. The little girl was very sick. One of her knees was drawn up toward her face. Her foot was pointed down. The heel was twisted and turned out. Straightening a leg or arm caused the child great pain.The young nurse had never seen such a case. How could she help the child?

In those days there were few doctors in the Australian bush. The nearest one was miles away. All Sister Kenny could do was ride to the nearest telegraph office and send a telegram to Dr. McDonnell, asking him what to do. At last his answering telegram came: “Infantile① paralysis. No known treatment. Do the best you can.”

Sister Kenny went back to the little girl. She still did not know what to do. But she had to do something.

The patient seemed to be trying to keep her muscles from stretching. Sister Kenny knew that the tight muscles must be loosened. If they were not, the child might be crippled② for life.

She knew that heat could relax muscles. So she filled a pan with salt and placed it on the fire. She placed the warm salt on the child’s leg. But it did not seem to help.Next she tried a hot poultice③. Its weight just seemed to add to the pain.

At last the nurse took a soft, wool blanket. She tore it into strips. She put the strips in hot water. Then she wrung④ them out. She wrapped them around the arms and legs.As the strips cooled, she changed them. The child stopped crying. She relaxed and fell asleep. The treatment worked!

Soon after this, Sister Kenny was called to see another girl. This patient had strong stomach pain. Sister Kenny thought it might mean appendicitis⑤. Again she must ask a doctor for help. But she could not leave the girl. And there was no one to send. So she went to the door of the lonely house and called “Coo-ee-ee coo-ee-ee,” an Australian call that means “Come to me”. She called three times. No answer came.

She went back to look at the girl. The patient still had stomach pain. But now there were symptoms of infantile paralysis too. What if the girl did have appendicitis?

Then the hot cloths would be the wrong treatment. They might even cause death. But if the patient had infantile paralysis, the cloths would be the right treatment. How Sister Kenny longed for some way to send for help!

Just then there was the sound of a wooden peg tapping outside. When she heard it, the nurse knew that her friend Chief Waddy Mundooee had answered her call. Sister Kenny had met the aboriginal chief some time before. She had obtained a wooden leg to replace the leg he had lost in an accident. He was thankful for her help. Now he had come to help her.

The chief sent his messenger off with telegram. In time the messenger came back with Dr. McDonnell’s reply. It said that muscles in the stomach often tightened in infantile paralysis. This meant that the pain was probably not a symptom of appendicitis. Sister Kenny used the hot cloths. Her young patient soon got well.

Some time later Sister Kenny saw Dr. McDonnell in person. She told him what she had done. He was shocked. Her treatment went against all that the experts said about the crippling disease. But it had worked! Her patients were walking about, well and strong.

Infantile paralysis is now called polio. In the 1950s vaccines were found to prevent it. But there are still some cases. And one of the best ways to treat them is the method developed by the young nurse in the Australian bush.

(631 words)

Ⅰ . How well did you read?

1. [Note the reason.] Sister Kenny felt helpless because she___________ .

A. didn’t know how to help the child

B. knew there were no doctors in Australia

C. both A and B

2. [Judge from details.] Dr. McDonnell knew the disease’s___________ .

A. signs B. name C. both A and B

3. [Note the order.] The first treatment the nurse tried was___________ .

A. a hot poultice B. warm salt C. hot cloths

4. [See the difference.] Unlike the first patient, the second one had ___________.

A. strong stomach pain B. appendicitis C. infantile paralysis

5. [Follow the time order.] Sister Kenny didn’t use the hot cloths until___________ .

A. the patient first showed signs of infantile paralysis

B. Dr. McDonnell’s answer came

C. Chief Waddy Mundooee came to help

6. [Understand the outcome.] Doctors now know that___________ .

A. polio does not cripple

B. Dr. McDonnell had a cure for polio

C. Sister Kenny’s treatment was a good one

7. [Read between the lines.] This story probably took place___________ .

A. in the 1960s B. sometime before the 1950s C. after polio vaccines were found

Ⅱ. Read for words.

Choose one best paraphrase for the underlined words.

1. All Sister Kenny could do was ride to the nearest telegraph office and send a telegram to Dr. McDonnell, asking him what to do. (Para. 2)

A. question B. post mail C. message sent by telegraph

2. Sister Kenny had met the aboriginal chief some time before. (Para. 9)

A. native B. natural C. supreme

3. Infantile paralysis is now called polio. (Para.12)

A. a new job B. a special experiment C. disease that was once called infantile paralysis

4. And one of the best ways to treat them is the method developed by the young nurse in the Australian bush. (Para.12)

A. treasured B. worked out C. looked over

Ⅲ. Writing practice.

List the symptoms of a disease you have had or know about. What is the treatment for this disease?

LANGUAGE BOX