Page 2 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y December, 1960

E D I T O R I A L

A t this tim e o f  the year there sh ould  be, but there 
never has been, and there is n o t likely to be for 
m a n y  years to  co m e, a glut o f  p hysioth erapists in 
S o u th  A frica.

W h y sh ou ld  this situation rem ain so ch ron ic? 
O ne o b v io u s answ er being, there is an intern ational 
shortage o f  p hysioth erapists and S o u th  A frica is 
n o  excep tion.

O ne o f  our greatest difficulties here is the lack 
o f  training facilities in the U n io n . T h is d o es n ot 
stem  from  the shortage o f  p o ten tia l trainees but 
the ever serious shortage o f  teachin g personnel.

W h y d o p h ysioth erap ists sh o w  little enthusiasm  
for takin g a teachin g co u rse?

Firstly, m o st p h ysioth erapists initially train to 
becom e p h ysioth erap ists in the true sense o f  the 
w ord, and have no desire to  teach others to d o the 
w o rk  they them selves enjoy d oing.

S econ d ly, the fact that the m ajority o f  p h y sio ­
therapists are w o m en , and during the years w hen 
they are still m entally receptive to learning, m any 
are occup ied  in w ifely duties.

T hirdly, the exacting w o rk  that is required o f  any 
teacher, such as the hours that are used in correction

o f  papers, reading fo r new m aterial and prep aration  
o f  n o tes ou tside the so-called  duty tim e are co n ­
sidered burdensom e.

So w hat then is there in favour o f  b eco m in g  a 
teacher o f  P h ysioth erap y?

T h e im m easu rab le sa tisfa ctio n  o f  seein g at the 
end o f  each year, p eo p le equipped to  do the jo b , 
ready and eager to do it, all o f  w h o m  you  helped 
to  reach this stage.

A lso  on the m oral asp ect is to be part o f  the 
d evelop m en t o f  resp onsibilities and hum anitarian 
tributes that b elo n g  to  a p hysiotherapist.

There is the financial gain and h o lid a y s, so 
n ecessary for a teacher.

T h ese are som e o f  the p o in ts in fa v o u r o f  teaching.
A n d  n o w  w e have the im portan t n ew s o f  a 

scholarship w h ich  the Transvaal P rovincial A d ­
m inistration  is prepared to offer to  p hysioth erapists 
aspiring to teach. A  m ore attractive or fair offer 
than that w h ich  is envisaged co u ld  n o t be p ossib le.

W e need p hysioth erap ists, and to have them  we 
m ust have teachers, i f  physioth erapy is to  survive 
as a vital service in S o u th  A frica.

T h in k  o n  these lines !

C o n t e n t s
P a g e

A natom y o f  the T h o rax  by D r. L . M . Jo n c k , B .C h .D ., M .S c ., D .S c..........  .... 3

S urgical C hest C onditions by D r. J .  C. van der Spuy, M .B ., B .C h.............  6

P h y sio th e rap y  T rea tm e n t o f S urgical C hest Conditions by M a rg a re t R . W hite, M .C .S .P .......................... 7

G eneral .................................................................................................................................................................................. ***

Branch N ews ....................................................................................................................................................................

Q uestion B ox ..............................  ............................................................................................................................  * *

S tu d e n ts’ Column ....................................................................................................................................................................

V acancies .........................................................  ...............................................................................................................

F o r S ale ..................................................................................................................................................................................

N ew  A ppliances ....................................................................................................................................................................

B ook Reviews ....................................................................................................................................................................

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