January, 1956 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y Page Three

Editorial .....................................................
Address to Conference ...........................
Portable Suspension F ram e...........................
General .....................................................
Personal .....................................................
Branch News ...  ........................................
National Council for the Care of Cripples 
Diathermy ... ........................................

EDITO RIAL

C ream  and green seem  to b e trad itional colou rs 
for hospital, w alls, w hether from  habit or based 
o n  scientific investigation. In this coun try, our 
non -E u ropean s invariably seem subjected to dark 
brickw ork w ith an occa sio n a l cream  surface here 
and there. T his w o u ld  appear particularly inept 
w hen o n e considers their startling, th ou g h  sensitive, 
use o f  co lou rs in everyday life, and hence their 
prob able asso cia tion  o f  health w ith them .

T his co lo u r a sso cia tion  has o ften  b een  discussed 
in the h o sp ita lisa tio n  o f  children, w ho m ay grow  
up fearful o f  any o n e in a w hite coat, or carrying 
a black bag. T o  a v oid  this w o u ld  m ean using a 
variety o f  co lou rs how ever, or the child w ould 
attach th e sam e significance to any other colour, 
be it pin k or blue.

T here is th e “ p ro-w h ite” argum ent in that it is 
a clean, aseptic loo k in g  colou r, but there is no 
rea so n  w h y  m aterials o f  other co lou rs sh ou ld  n o t 
a lso  have th ese attributes.

This subject offers considerable sco p e for 
research, and perhaps w e m ay so o n  find ourselves 
w orkin g in  D ep artm en ts far rem oved in design 
from  th e present ones, and in clo th es un dream t o f  
by the staffs o f  our training schools.

CO L O U R  plays an im portant part in our lives, and experim ents a r e . being m ade in this field n o t o n ly  in our w orkin g and h o m e 
surroundings, but in  hosp itals, clinics and nursing 
hom es. Our ph y sio lo gica l reaction  to co lou r m ay 
be o f  im portant therapeutic value.

I C hanges o f  taste arid habit are evidenced by 
"the trend in this century aw ay from  th e heavy 
blacks, brow ns and dark greens tow ards th e m ore 
general use o f  th e prim ary co lou rs in som etim es 
startling co m b in atio n s. D e sig n  o ften  g o es hand in 
hand w ith contem porary w ays o f  living, to -d ay 
noticeably blatant and even bizarre.

It is interesting th at several factories and offices 
have been built recently w ith differently co lou red  
w alls and ceilings in  an attem pt to co m b a t fatigue 
and eyestrain. Sim ilarly, experim ents are being 
m ade w ith co lou rs and their reaction o n  patients. 
The use o f  green for its so o th in g  effect o n  psychiatric 
cases is m ore or less established. G reen is being 
used extensively in  operatin g theatres for w alls, 
gow ns and dressing cloths, n o t for its effect o n  
the patient, but because it is less fatiguing than 
w hite for the surgeon and others at w o rk  in the 
theatre.

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