Page Six P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y January, 1954. / W O R L D C O N F E D E R A T IO N F O R P H Y S IC A L T H E R A P Y REPORT OF PRESIDENT TO SECOND GENERAL MEETING ' Thursday, 10th September, 1953 It has been an h o nour an d a privilege to serve as first President o f the W orld C onfederation fo r Physical T herapy these past tw o years. W hen your executive com m ittee m et together in Copenhagen an d Stockholm in 1951, to consider w hat we should do an d w hat we could do, we became very aw are o f the responsibilities which we h ad assumed. The distances were great an d all business and discussions would have to be by correspondence. We asked ourselves can this be done. We could only try an d do o u r very best. I t was, we felt, fortunate th a t all the m em ber organizations were firmly established, had high standards o f education and practice. T he ethical laws in each country were essentially th e same. Problems too, were similar. One o f our first tasks, it was decided, was to learn m ore a b o u t each other. Accordingly each country was asked to prepare an article o n its association giving pertinent facts ab o u t its development, standards o f training, mem ber­ ship rules, etc. These were duplicated and included in a news bulletin which is distributed to m em ber organizations a t regular intervals. Exchange o f journals was begun. We fu rth er recognised th a t we should develop working relationships with o ther international bodies such as W orld H ealth, Social an d Econom ic Commission, U .N .I.C .E .F ., U .N .E .S.C .O ., all in the U nited N ations, th e International Society for the W elfare o f Cripples, International Polio and m any others. All o f these are concerned with some aspect o f the rehabilitation o f the handicapped. As m any o f these international agencies nam ed have headquarters in New Y ork personal visits were possible. The cordial reception which I received and the continuing w orking relationships which have developed have been very gratifying. •We are deeply appreciative o f the help which we Have received from the In tern atio n al Society fo r the W elfare o f Cripples. T hrough its newsbulletin inform ation about the W orld C onfederation fo r Physical T herapy has been circulated to every country, m any o f which have little or no physical therapy. We were privileged to have a full page supplem ent in a recent bulletin giving the history o f the C onfederation an d news o f this Congress. Physical T herapy visitors from overseas have been cordially welcomed at their office and help freely given in planning study visits. T he In tern atio n al Polio Congress generously awarded m e a- travel fellowship to attend this meeting—a tangible expression o f their interest an d faith in the W orld C on­ federation fo r Physical Therapy. The W orld C onfederation in turn has reciprocated a n d through its news bulletins h a s 'C a rrie d inform ation a b o u t o ther international organizations, has responded to requests fo r inform ation about Physical T herapy from physicians an d agencies throughout the world, an d has referred visitors to allied and mem ber organisations. N ational Physical T herapy Journals have published much international inform ation fo r its members. In addition the Secretariat in L ondon has established relations thro u g h correspondence with International O rganizations in E urope, as you will hear in the H on. Secretary’s R eport. Therefore it is believed we have learned far m ore about each o ther as well as o ther international program m es than we had hoped fo r in 1951. Two projects were initiated:— (1) to assemble m ore detailed inform ation about training, (2) laws governing practice in th e various countries an d the availability o f bursaries o r scholarships fo r study in the various countries. I t is hoped to have this inform ation available in printed form w ithin the next year. , T he need has been recognized fo r additional printed \ m aterial describing the scope o f physical therapy fo r the purpose o f answering inquiries. We all know w hat it is— but there is still a great need to interpret to others who we are an d w hat o u r contribution can be in a rehabilitation programme. I t was th e good fortune o f the C onfederation to receive an invitation from the C hartered Society o f G reat B ritain to hold its first Congress in L ondon. T his has been a trem endous undertaking an d has required continuous and inspired w ork on th e part o f the Congress Com m ittee under the able Leadership o f its C hairm an, Professor Whillis. T he H on. Secretary, Miss Neilson, m et with your President in June 1952 in New Y ork to outline prelim inary plans fo r the program m e and for publicizing it. These were subm itted to the Congress C om m ittee which b ro ad ­ ened and carried them through to completion. Inform ation ab o u t the Congress has 'been distributed to the fo u r corners o f the earth, through the colourful an d symbolic poster, prelim inary program m e, in publica­ tions o f the mem ber organizations, medical journals and international bulletin. T he world-wide recognition o f physical therapy and its essentiality in the rehabilitation o f the handicapped, its role in prevention o f disabling conditions places upon each o f us a great responsibility. I feel th at their recogni­ tion has come about not through propaganda, but by t he/ every day good w ork an d devotion to the patient by physical^ therapists everywhere. Physical therapists m ust therefore be well prepared, must ever be seeking and sharing know ­ ledge. They m ust have a love and understanding o f people, be tolerant o f their frailties and to work co-operatively with colleagues in allied professions. U pon each national organization rests the responsibility o f m aintaining stan ­ dards o f education and practice and fo r establishing require­ ments fo r mem bership in their respective countries. T he strength o f the W orld Confederation lies in the strength o f its m em ber organizations, ju st as the strength o f national societies depends on their individual members. T he question arises from tim e to time as to the purpose o f a W orld C onfederation and w hat does it do fo r o r how does it effect N ational O rganizations? T his cannot be answered simply. Much o f the benefits are intangible. A m ong the purposes o f the Confederation are the m ain­ tenance and developm ent o f standards o f education and practice throughout the world, the encouragem ent o f greater use of Physical Therapy. T his is done through Congresses, discussion and sharing, an d not by inter­ national rules. Problem s in every country are surprisingly similar and the mechanism to share experiences and m ethods in resolving these problems is o f truly great value to the 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. ) January, 1954. P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y Page Seven profession and to th e N ational O rganizations involved. O ur mem ber organizations are widely separated by dis­ tance an d by language, but as members o f the W orld Confederation they are as. one family an d can call upon one another fo r counsel which m ay be translated by them into action. O ur financial resources are sm all but o u r com bined professional a n d . spiritual resources are great. T hus the profession is strengthened in every country by being a mem ber o f a distinguished and honourable family, the W orld Confederation. O ur C onfederation is ju s t two years old—we are only ju st beginning to stand firmly and to confidentially face o u r future. T h at futi, e depends n o t on a few, but on every physical therapist, through his w ork with patients, through his participation in the activities and business o f his association and through working with professional colleagues and private indi­ viduals devoted to o u r com m on goal—the recovery o f the patient, physically, socially and economically. I wish to take this opportunity to express m y deep appreciation to the members o f the Executive C om m ittee fo r their support and w ork during these past two years. Miss Verco o f A ustralia assembled m aterial on laws o f practice, bursaries o r scholarships. Miss Andrews, New Z ealand, assembled m aterial on training, Mrs. Agersnap, D enm ark, an d M rs. Coleridge, Sweden, collaborated on the News Letter, Miss Spence, C anada an d Miss M cAllister, G reat B ritain, participated in the initial planning o f the program m e fo r this Congress. The work o f o u r H on. Secretary an d T reasurer, Miss Neilson, has been m onum ental and devoted thro u g h o u t these p ast tw o years. I am extremely grateful to h er and to the C hartered Society fo r perm itting her to spend so m uch time on th e affairs o f the C onfederation an d in the preparation o f this w onderful Congress. I also wish to th an k the mem ber organizations for their deep interest an d faith in th e W orld C onfederation as has been tangibly expressed by donations an d by their co-operation in all th a t has been asked o f them . Y our continued faith and support will keep this young C on­ federation growing properly— straight an d strong, head tall, eyes clear, chin up, back straight, feet firmly placed a n d straight ahead. M . ELSO N , President. The most vitalising o of all measures T h at was the description given 18 years ago by a distinguished lecturer to general ultra-violet light therapy; it still holds | good today. Except in certain selected conditions where the use o f ultra-violet is definitely contra-indicated, it can ■ be said th a t there is no invalid o r convalescent whose con­ dition cannot be am eliorated by the judicious use o f u ltra ­ violet rays. The im pact o f this high-energy radiation upon th e skin sets into m otion a train o f photochem ical and physiological processes to which th e whole body responds, thus giving fresh im petus to the processes o f healing. In spite o f the spectacular results obtained in o ther fields o f therapy in recent years, no o ther single m ethod has produced such benefici effects in the hum an system, and with such com plete lack o f adv sequels. Supply and service through: H A N O V I A L T D .The British General Electric Co. Ltd. 'ioVcC t M agnet House, Loveday & Anderson Streets, V SPECIALISTS IN ACTINOTHERAPY JO H A N N E SB U R G . EQUIPMENT. Branches: Cape Town, P o rt Elizabeth, Salisbury, an d Bulawayo. S L O U G H • E N G L A N D 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. )