P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y Page One EDITORIAL YN these days of w orld wide m anpow er shortage, J. j t ; s. more im p o rta n t th a n ever to return the in- a p a c ita te d person to his w ork in the shortest possible time with the best possible- functio nal result. This task is becoming more a n d more the physio therapist’s responsibility, and this is ha p pily being recognised by both the lay and m edical worlds. ^yar, disastrous ,as it is, brings w ith it rapid ad­ vances in all form s of science, particularly in the medical field. In the second w orld war, physio­ therapy made greater strides in six years th an it had probably made in the previous two or three decades. It was recognised as an essential therapy. T here­ fore, if we are to give o f our best as physiotherapists, lit is our duty to im prove our standards by a c q u a in t­ ing ourselves w ith the latest progressions w hich have been made in o u r w ork. I t is w ith this a im in view that the first P ostgraduate Course is to be held at Witwatersrand U nive rsity early next m o nth . A great deal of thought and hard w o rk has been put into the preparation of this course, and it is hoped th a t as many as can w ill take advantage of it. I n S outh A frica, the setting up of R e ha b ilita tio n Centres such as w ill be shown in the films during the course, is a m ajor problem, chiefly ow ing to the difficulties of distance and the com paratively small population. W i t h the increasing num ber of physio­ therapists in this country, and the stress th a t is now laid o n all aspects of rehabilitatio n; these difficulties should prove a challenge to o ur ingenuity. There is a crying need fo r such centres, and it is up to us to agitate for their establishm ent. The days o f “heat, massage and m ovem ent” as routine treatm ents are over, and it is tim e for those basic methods to be supplem ented and used more intelligently. This, of course, cannot be done unless we are all conversant w ith m odern uses ,of physio­ therapy on the one hand, w hile on the other we are given adequate space and apparatus w ith w hich to put our knowledge into practice. The Postgraduate: Course w ill be not only a means of le arn in g from lectures, b ut an ideal w ay of exchanging ideas and m a k in g plans for the future. PO STGRADU ATE P H YSIO TH ER A P Y COURSE It is proposed to hold this course for the benefit of practitioners whose qualifications are-registrable w ith the South A fric a n M edical and D en tal Council. The course will be held at W itw a te rsra n d U niversity Medical School, and the lectures w ill be given by ^members of the P hysioth erapy D ep a rtm e nt of this University. Those w ishing to attend are asked to w rite to Miss Jean Blair, M edical School, W itw a te rsra n d U niversity, not later than A p r il 19th, enclosing £1 Is. Od. regis­ tration fee for the course. Cheques to be made pay­ able to the U nive rsity of the W itw a te rsra n d . As space is limited, early application is desirable. We hope to m ake this the first of a series of Postgraduate courses, and your support w ould be warmly welcomed. The response to this course will determine w hether there is sufficient enthusiasm to merit the w ork entailed in the provision o f further c°urses. The proposed program m e is as fo llo w s :— Friday, M a y 2nd, a t 8 p.m . in the P hysiotherapy D e ­ partment, M edical School, H o spita l Street. “T echnique of treatm ent by S lin g Suspension Therapy, and its A p p lic a tio n .” B y M iss J. Blair, M .C .S .P ., T .M .M .G ., T.E.T . S aturday, M a y 3rd, at 9.1S a.m . in the P hysiotherapy D ep artm e nt, M edical School. “The Place of Exercise in M o d ern R e h a b ilita tio n .” B y M iss Cr. W ilso n , M .C .S.P ., T .M .M .G . 10 a.m.— Tea. 10.30 a.m .— D em o n stra tio n of W a r d Classes in W a rd s 32 and 33, G eneral H ospital, Johannesburg. 2.30 p.m .— “The Possibilities of the Uses and Tested Techniques o f M o d ern E le ctro th erapy A pp a ra tu s.” B y M iss H . Baines, M .C .S .P ., T .E .T ., in the P hysioth erapy D ep artm e nt, M edical School. 4 p.m .— Tea. 4.30 p.m .— R e h a b ilita tio n Film s in the H arveian Lecture Theatre, M edical School. 6.30 p.m .— C ocktail P a rty given by the Southern T ransvaal B ranch of the S .A .S .P . V enue to be announced d urin g the course. 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. )