His fighting chance (1949) Pt. 1 of 2

[Music] is [Music] his name is Johnny green and he's 2 years old he looks well enough but there is something wrong with him he has had infantile paralysis or to give it its proper name polio myelitis Johnny had Polio badly it left his limbs limp and Powerless but the full effects of this disease are seldom lasting now he is recovering and getting some power back like [Music] this a torch is like a new toy Pleasant to play with and interesting just watch his [Music] face but still he can't get his head off the bed it would be nice to grasp it with the other hand too there's nothing he can do about that yet maybe polio is a better name than infantile paralysis there were always adult cases and now it detects grown-ups as much as children John Broadbent was about 19 when he caught polio and he's typical of many it could have been flu but he thought he might be sickening for something and sensibly went to bed in the early stages there's often not much to distinguish polio from some other diseases well this sort of test Narrows down the search John can't quite kiss his knees whereas he used to be able to quite easily but the doctor goes on looking for more definite signs you see that's all right but there is a weakness here in the left leg the sooner the doctor can be sure about polio the better the chances of John's recovery well he was sure but early treatment is so important that patients are admitted to hospital even in quite doubtful cases doctors are on the safe side and in fact about 20% of the first notified cases turn out not to have polio but something else often serious enough to require hospital treatment the problem then is to help patients lead happy and useful lives at the same time to encourage the use of the paralyzed Limbs and so speed their return to full activity helping patients to help themselves Rehabilitation offers tremendous scope for the Ingenuity of both doctors and patients the methods of Rehabilitation come from a study of many diseases and injuries the technique which measures returning strength with polio also brings back activity to those crippled by other illnesses or in accident doctors can tell the proper moment which varies with every patient to start active exercises at first the patient can barely help but as long as she feels she is helping that is the thing recovery is the aim confidence grows before long patients encourage one another and hardly realize it but it may be a long battle of those who have won that battle the late President Roosevelt was the foremost as one of the Great Men of our time he holds a firm place in the affections of the people of Britain it with both the pleasure and sadness that I welcome from melt here today I am shortly going to invite her to unveil as a monument to her husband of the late president of the United States of America [Music]