Page Six P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y April, 1954 3. , , The accom m odability is lost, a is 1. The result o f the electrical test shows a C .R .D . Treatment is carried out according to the findings o f the test. A normal m otor-unit is treated with short impulses— 0 • l — 1 ms. at 20 ms. interval. The result will be a tetanic contraction. The form o f the impulse— square wave or triangular impulse— does not matter much in the short ranges. The current is either interrupted by means o f a key electrode or surged. The patient should be told to contract with the current. A partially degenerated motor-unit is treated according to the degree o f its degeneration. D iagram 11 shows a partially degenerated motor-unit which has little accom ­ m odability a is 1-5. Therefore a triangular impulse must be chosen for treatment. The duration o f the impulse must be somewhere between 50 and 500 ms. because the effective tim e o f this motor-unit will be longer than normal. The interval duration o f 2,000 ms. should be long enough for a partially degenerated motor-unit. The advantages o f this slowly rising impulse o f long duration is that: 1. The stimulus can be localised to a great extent. 2. The patient can try to contract the m uscle volun­ tarily with this slowly rising long impulse. A muscle show ing C .R .D .— Diagram 12— must be treated with triangular impulses o f long duration, 150— 600 ms. or more. The reasons are: the accom m odability is losO i.e. a is 1, therefore the triangular impulse is chosen. The effective time is very long— curve very much towards the right side. For the muscle shown in Diagram 12, a triangular impulse o f ± 500 ms. should be employed. If it proves that the duration o f the interval o f 2,000 ms. is to o short, i.e. the muscle shows signs o f fatigue after a few contractions, a slowly rising galvanic current o f preset rise and preset intensity should be applied. ' The current is manually interrupted. The duration o f the interval can now be chosen, it can be any time. The best interval for a muscle showing C .R .D . would probably be 5 to 10 seconds. BOOK REVIEW P relim inary E lectricity fo r the P hysiotherapist by B r e n d a S a v a g e , M .S c., m .c .s .p . (Teachers’ Certificates), 3 2 5 pp. 191 Figs. Published by Faber & Faber Ltd., 2 4 , Russell Square, London. Price 2 \s. net. M iss Brenda Savage has succeeded in writing a book which will be invaluable to the physiotherapy student. What few textbooks there are available on M edical Elec­ tricity are now badly in need o f revision, and in any case do not seem to have their texts planned as specifically for the physiotherapist as is the text o f this book. . There are three excellent preliminary chapters on the N ature o f Electricity, Static Electricity and Current Electricity. These form the basis for the division o f the b ook into three sections viz. low frequency currents, high frequency currents and radiations. The elementary physics is described clearly and simply, so as to provide an under­ standing for the chapters on electromechanics and machine construction. M ost obsolete material has been eliminated, though there are one or two inclusions, such as the dia­ thermy couch and diathermy massage, which seem a little out o f place in a modern text book. The progressive or triangular wave form is not described, though it seems that this will be a valuable asset in the diagnosis, prognosis and. treatment o f nerve lesions. The physiological effects and uses o f the apparatus are com paratively brief, but comprehensive, bearing in mind that this is a book for the preliminary physiotherapy examination. Throughout there are ample and clear diagrams, invariably on the sam e page as the text to which they refer a situation which is greatly appreciated after reading'text­ books in which this is not always the case. The whole text is set out clearly and is easy to read, and we must look forw ard to an equally excellent book by , Miss Savage on treatm ents by electrotherapy. . ' U E .D . G EN ERA L The next Postgraduate- course will be held at the University o f the Witwatersrand M edical School on April 30th, in the evening, and on M ay 1st. The subject will be “ Physiotherapy in Pre- and P ost-N atal Care.” We hope to include a film on childbirth, a lecture by a gynaecologist, a dem onstration o f classwork and o n e o f the Neumann- N eurode method o f infant exercises. The' timetable has not yet been finalised, but all interested postgraduates are asked to contact M iss Blair at the Medical School, or at the Johannesburg General H ospital. * * * * The C .E.C . is still trying to obtain a final ruling fromi The Transvaal Provincial A dm inistration regarding physio-1 therapists in the operating theatre. * * * * . A m emorandum has been sent to the M inister of Health setting out the Society’s difficulties, together with a request for an interview with the Minister. * * * * A n apology has been received and accepted from the Board o f the S.A. Nursing A ssociation for the publication o f an advertisement in the S.A . Nursing Journal in November for the Lindstrom C ollege o f Swedish M assage. - C H A N G E O F A D D R E S S Mrs. S. Patz has m oved to 33a, Viljoen Street, Middel- burg, Transvaal. M iss A . I. Burr has changed her address to 182, 10th Avenue, Highlands N orth, Johannesburg. M iss S. O osthuizen’s address is now P.O . B ox 6468, Johannesburg. * * * * BRANCH NEWS Southern Transvaal On M onday, January 11th, D r. H enry Yellowleesd gave a m ost amusing and fascinating lecture entitled “ Word’ and A ction .” W e were delighted to have this opportunity o f hearing him before he returned to England. There were approximately seventy people present. On February 22nd a Sym posium on Paraplegia was held at the Johannesburg General H ospital. A b out eighty people were present at this very interesting an d informative m eeting, at which the speakers were Dr. H. H aden, Mr. A. Rothberg and M iss J. Maurice. D r. H aden gave an introductory talk o n t h e pathology, different types o f paraplegia and aims o f treatment; Mr. Rothberg gave an excellent practical demonstration of the treatment, devoting the short time available to him chiefly to the m ethods o f rehabilitation o f walking for paraplegics. M iss M aurice talked to us about treatment of the paraplegic by occupational therapy while the patient is in hospital, and the vital question o f his re se ttle m e n t and vocational training after discharge. It is hoped that in the future a meeting m ay be held in the W .N .L .A . centre in Johannesburg, where Mr. Rothberg has promised to provide som e o f his non-Euro­ pean patients, with whom he can give a fuller demonstration and explanation o f treatment. 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. )