Page 10 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y MARCH, 1971 A IN M E M O R I A M Prof. dr. F. D . du Toit van Zijl is op 26 Januarie 1971 skielik aan sy woning in Rondebosch, oorlede. Prof. Francois Daniel du Toit van Zijl het in 1925 sy M .B., Ch.B. aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad verwerf, in 1931 in Edinburg, Skotland, F.R.C.S. geword en in 1933 sy Meestersgraad in die Chirurgie aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad behaal. Sedert 1933 was hy algemene praktisyn op Malmesbury totdat hy twee jaar later in Kaapstad begin spesialiseer het en aan die Somerset-hospitaal verbonde was. In 1949 was hy as deeltydse hoogleraar aan die Universiteit van Kaap­ stad aangestel. In 1955 is hy aangestel as die eerste hoogleraar in die Chirurgie en Dekaan van die Fakulteit van Geneeskunde aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Gedurende hierdie tydperk het hy besonder belang gestel in die vestiging van die paramediese dienste, en dit was grootliks as gevolg van sy inisiatief en ywer dat ’n B.Sc. in Fisioterapie kursus in 1969 aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch ingestel is. Prof. Van Zijl was ook vir die afgelope ag jaar ere vise-president van die Suid-Afrikaanse Fisioterapie Vereniging. Ons sal hom altyd onthou vir sy kalm optrede wat in alle gevalle vertroue ingeboesem het by diegene wat met horn in aanraking gekom het. Ons het ’n goeie vriend en steunpilaar verloor en wens ons innige meegevoel te betuig met mev. Issie van Zijl en haar seun. ABSTRACTS ABSTRACTS FOR THIRD QUARTER, 1970 Acta Neurol. Scand., 46, 3,1 9 7 0 : P e d e r s o n , E. et al: G ABA D erivative in spasticity. Sum m ary: A further study o f CIBA 34, 647 Ba in spastic (non-traum atic) paraplegia. T he patients in this group suffered m ainly from multiple sclerosis, an d the effectiveness o f CIBA 34, 647 Ba in controlling spasticity and flexor spasms was again confirmed. In this series, however, side effects were noted — in particular loss o f muscle power. It was suggested th a t caution should be exercised in using this com pound for m obile patients and in such cases should only be used when the spasticity was o f greater severity th an the paresis. Am. J. Physiol., 219, 2, Aug., 1970: O s c a i, L. B. an d H o l l o s z y , J. O . : W eight R eduction in Obese rats by exercise o r food restriction: effect on the heart. Sum m ary: B oth groups o f rats, treated by exercise or (sedentary) food restriction, lost 26 per cent o f their initial body weight over 18 weeks. T he food restricted anim als’ heart weights were, however, significantly reduced, whereas those o f the exercised anim als were not. I t was suggested th a t exercise can prevent the reduction o f heart weight associated w ith loss o f bodyweight. Develop. Med. Child Neurol., 12, 4, Aug., 1970: 1. G u b b a y , S. S., L o b a s c h e r , M. and K i n g e r l e e , P.: A Neurological A ppraisal o f Autistic C hildren: Results of a W estern A ustralian survey. Sum mary: 56 per cent o f the children examined showed unequivocal evidence o f organic brain disease, whilst a total o f 84 per cent showed evidence suggestive o f this. I t was felt th a t prim ary autism is probably rare, an d th a t autism m ore usually appears as one feature o f widespread brain damage. ■ 2. M a c K e i t h , R . C . : A n n o ta tio n : W ho G uides the T herapist? R ecom m ended reading. J. Appl. Physiol., 29, 2, Aug., 1970: 1. K u t a , I., P a r i z k o v a , J. an d D y c k a , J .: M uscle Strength a n d L ean Body Mass in old men o f different physical activity. Sum m ary: Thigh circumference and average muscle strength were significantly higher in m ost active m en in the 7th decade, as com pared w ith inactive men. By th e 8 th decade, th e to tal an d lean body weight were also higher in active men, an d their muscle strength was equivalent to th a t o f inactive men 10 years younger. T he decrease in muscle strength w ith ageing was, however, more m arked in th e m ost active men. J. Neurol., Neurosurg., Psychiat., 33, 4, Aug., 1970: 1. W iederholt, W. C . : Stimulus Intensity an d Site o f Excita­ tion in H um an M edian N erve Sensory Fibres. Sum m ary: In the past it has been accepted th a t large diameter nerve fibres have lower thresholds and faster conduction velocities th an small diam eter nerve fibres. M ore recent studies have, however, been contradictory, som e workers (H odes et al, 1965; D rechsler an d Lastovka, 1968) con­ cluding th at, in hum an m o to r nerves, low threshold fibres conduct m ore slowly th an high threshold fibres. The author u ndertook a further study attem pting to explain, these discrepancies as different interpretations o f the effective point o f nerve excitation at different stim ulus intensities. It was fo u n d th a t as stimulus voltage increased, both latencies an d am plitude o f nerve action potentials decreased, whilst conduction velocities rem ained unchanged. T he decreased latency was interpreted as m ovem ent o f the effective point of excitation away from the stim ulating cathode. I t was also found th at, in the hum an m edian nerve, the fastest conducting sensory fibres do have a lower threshold th an slowly con­ ducting fibres. R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. ) M ARCH , 1971 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y Page 11 2 J o n e s , R . F ., B u r k e , D ., M a r o s s z e k y , J . ' E . arid G i l l i e s , J . D . : A New A gent for the C ontrol o f Spasticity. Authors' summary: In a prelim inary controlled trial, CIBA 3 4 647-Ba, a gam m a am inobutyric acid derivative, was found to be more effective th an placebo in reducing spasticity due to spinal injuries. In an uncontrolled trial, it also appeared m ore effective th an diazepam. T he intensity of spasticity was m easured electrom yographically by the amplitude o f the stretch reflex at various velocities, an d the results were correlated with those obtained by clinical assessment. 34, 647-Ba was effective in both com plete and incomplete spinal cord lesions and it is suggested th a t it has an action at the spinal level. N o significant side-effects were encountered. 3 . L a itin en, L. V. N eurosurgery in Cerebral Palsy. Summary: This paper sum marizes th e results o f neuro­ surgery in 58 selected patients w ith cerebral palsy. Stereo­ taxic subthalam otom y was perform ed on 55 patients and gave good results in 65 per cent o f the cases. T he best results, were obtained in th e case of rapid involuntary movements or intention trem or, whilst rigidity and spasticity were little affected. Three patients underw ent a longitudinal spinal myelotomy, which was effective in relieving spasticity and thus assisting further rehabilitation, although tem porary incontinence was observed in two patients and a probable sensory deficit in the third. It was stressed th a t reasonable intelligence was an essential prerequisite for neurosurgery. N o patients o f low intelligence benefitted from th e steriotaxic surgery, probably because o f their inability to co-operate in post-operative rehabilitation. J . Neurosurg., 33, 1, July, 1970: L o e s e r , J. D . : H istory o f Skeletal T raction in the T reat­ m ent o f Cervical Spine Injuries. - • • . Summary: A n interesting historical survey o f various methods of dealing w ith cervical fractures an d fracture-dislocations from 4000 B.C. to the present day. J . Physiol., 209, 3, Aug. (2) 1970: N e w s o m D a v i s , J. an d S e a r s , T . A .: T h e Proprioceptive Reflex C ontrol o f the Intercostal Muscles D uring their V oluntary A ctivation. Summary: T he m echanical load on th e intercostal muscles was increased or decreased by applying a pressure source to the airway so th a t respiratory movem ent could be resisted o r assisted. A “silent period” was observed on sudden unloading, which was thought due to withdrawal o f m onosynaptic excitation from the muscle spindle. On loading, it was found th a t a short inhibitory response was followed by a n excitatory response. I t is postulated that the inhibitory response is due to autogenic inhibition arising from tendon organs, whilst the excitatory response arises from muscle spindle stim ulation. T he initial inhibitory response was unexpected, since a servomechanism has been assumed to exist, an d the authors propose th a t it is a result of conditioning in relation to previous experience. The authors talk . o f ..“ inspiratory” and “ expiratory” intercostal muscles, but add no explanation o f these terms. J . Physiol., 210, 1, Sept., 1970: R e is , D . J. and W o o t e n , G . F . : The R elationship o f Blood Flow to M yoglobin, C apillary D ensity and Twitch C haracteristics in R ed an d W hite Skeletal Muscle in a Cat. Summary: B oth blood flow an d myoglobin concentration were found to be higher in red muscles th an in white, varying directly with each other. B lood flow was, in fact, three times greater in red th an in white limb muscles. C ontraction time was 2-3 times longer in red th an in white muscles, again varying directly w ith the fractional blood flow. However, the direct linear relationship was lost during sleep o r excite­ ment, suggesting th a t skeletal muscle m etabolism is adapted for its activity during quiet alert behaviour. Neurol.,’ 20, 7, July, 1970: - S c o t t , R . M ., B r o d y , J. A., S c h w a b , R . S . and C o o p e r , I. S . : Progression o f unilateral trem or and rigidity in Parkinson’s disease. Sum m ary: This survey o f a large num ber o f cases which originally presented w ith unilateral sym ptom s showed th at the m ajority eventually h a d bilateral involvement. T his was so w hether the patients had been treated medically o r surgi­ cally. T hose which rem ained unilateral tended to have a history o f a definite illness or accident preceding the onset o f symptoms. Physiol. Reviews, 50, 3, July, 1970: C a t t o n , W . T . : M echanoreceptor Function. Sum m ary: A very well-documented m onograph sum marizing types o f m echanoreceptors — b o th cutaneous and p ro p rio ­ ceptive — and characteristics of m echanoreceptor function.. This m onograph is well w orth reading by physiotherapists interested in rieurophysiology and, m ore specifically, in techniques based o n activation or deactivation of receptors. O T H E R A RT IC L ES O F IN T ER E ST Amer. J . Occup. Ther. 24, 5, July-Aug. 1970: D e v o r e , G. and S m i t h , H . : A N ew M ethod fo r M easuring M otion o f Flexor T endon G rafts. W e r n e r , J. L. and O m e r , G . E .: E valuating Cutaneous." Pressure Sensation o f the H and. Scientific American, July, 1970: D e a n , G .: T he multiple Sclerosis Problem. S.A. M ed. J . 44, p.1011, 1970: K a p l a n , I . : T he M anagem ent o f H an d Injuries. S.A. M ed. J . 44, p.1028, 1970: L i p m a n , L . : M anagem ent o f th e A utistic Child. S.A. M ed. J . 44, p.1054, 1970: V a n d e r M e r w e , G . W . and V a n r o o y e n , R . J . : A nato- miese en Fisiologiese E ienskappe van die Vrou van Belang by Sport. J . Neurophysiol., 33, 4, July, 1970: T h a t c h , W . T . : D ischarge o f Cerebellar neurons related to tw o m aintained postures an d two p rom pt move­ ments, I N uclear cell output. D ischarge o f cerebellar neurons related to tw o m aintained postures an d two p ro m p t m ovem ents II Purkinje cell o u tp u t and input. Ned. Tijdschrift voor Fysiotherapie, 587-591, 1970: M o l , W . : H et m eten van de spierkracht. Ibid, 592-594, 1970: V a n d e r R e e , M .: Fysiotherapie bij patienten m et rheum a- toids artritis. Ibid, 599-603: Vis, A. J. J . : O rtopedisch zwemmen. BOOK REVIEW P E R IP H E R A L M A N IPU L A T IO N by G . D . M aitland, A .U .A ., Associate o f the U niversity o f A delaide; M em ber o f the C hartered Society o f Physiotherapy an d the A ustralian Physiotherapy A ssociation; Part-tim e tu to r in Physiotherapy, University o f Adelaide. O btainable from B utterw orth & Co. (S.A.) (Pty.) Ltd., P.O. Box 792, D u rb an . Price R6.00. T his boo k is o f very great value as a complement to his book Vertebral Manipulation, and also as there is the present interest in m obilisation an d m anipulation. T h e procedures o f passive movem ents in th e past did not respect pain sufficiently, and com bined often w ith poorly perform ed techniques, they fell into disuse. N ow M r. M aitland uses very carefully graded oscillatory movem ents frequently in the painless p a rt o f the range. H is approach is so much m ore scientific and his careful exam ination o f the joints, w hether spinal or peripheral, m akes this particular aspect o f Physio­ therapy very interesting and rew arding. R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )