sajp_v16_n3_1960.pdf September, 1960 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y Page 13 LETTERS to the EDITOR D e a r M a d a m , , , , I a m So r r y t h a t M iss B o d o a n o h a s b a s e d h e r le tte r in v o u r J u n e I96 0 , issu e o n t h e w r o n g p r e m is e s w h ic h o n e , u n f o r t u n a t e ly , m u s t g a in f r o m a r e p o r t w h ic h is a re s u m e o f a t a lk an d t h a t s h e c o n s e q u e n t ly d r e w t h e w r o n g c o n - clU(JjynVe r y d e fin ite o p in i o n ( n o t im p re s s io n a s M is s B o d o a n o s ta te s ) c le a rly e x p r e ss e d in th e ta lk — a n d in p r i n t — is th a t P h y si o th e r a p y is n o t p r a c tis e d in th e b e s t p o s s ib le w a y in E n g la n d a n d in S o u th A f ric a , a n d n o t o n e w o r d w a s sa id o r im p lie d to th e d e t r im e n t o f E n g lis h P h y s io t h e r a p i s t s , a s M is s B o d o a n o sta te s . T h e e x c e lle n c e o f th e w o r k o f E n g lish P h y s io t h e r a p is ts — w ith in th e b o u n d s o f th e ir te a c h in g — n o t o n ly p re c lu d e s th e p o s s ib ility o f a n y d e tr i m e n ta l r e m a r k s a b o u t th e m , b u t a ls o su re ly , n e e d s n o a p o lo g ia f r o m M iss B o d o a n o o r a n y b o d y else. O v e r th e la s t six y e a rs, I h a v e s p e n t f o u r m o n th s , p r a c t i - c a lly d a ily , v is itin g e v e r y m a j o r t e a c h i n g h o s p it a l in L o n d o n , so t h a t 1 a m f u lly a c q u a i n t e d w ith th e m a n n e r in w h ic h p h y s io th e r a p y is a p p lie d a n d t a u g h t b y S p e c ia lis ts in P h y sic a l M e d ic in e , o t h e r sp e c ia lists, d o c t o r s a n d C .S .P . T e a c h e r s. M y c r itic is m , to m e n tio n o n ly a fe w p o in t s , is t h a t in E n g la n d , ( a n d in S o u t h A f ric a , w h ic h a p e s E n g la n d ) th e s tu d y o f p h y s io t h e r a p y is n o t c o m p u ls o r y f o r m e d ic a l s t u d e n ts ; c o m b in e d w a r d r o u n d s a r e n o t h e ld ; ( e x c e p t a t T a r a ) a n d r e s e a rc h is p r a c tic a lly n o n - e x is te n t, in s t r o n g c o n tr a s t to w h a t is d o n e in t h e o t h e r c o u n tr ie s 1 v is ite d . T h is is th e v e ry re a so n w h y 1 d e lib e r a te ly m e n tio n e d th e s c a th in g r e m a r k ( n o t “ s u p p o s e d ” r e m a r k a s M iss B o d o a n o w rites). T h is r e m a r k w a s m a d e b y a S p e c ia lis t in P h y sic a l M e d ic in e , w h o h a s id e as a b o u t o u r s u b je c t w h ic h a r e in k e e p in g w ith w h a t is d o n e in o t h e r c o u n tr ie s I h a v e v isite d ( a n d a ls o in th e U .S .A .) , a n d w h o is n o t p r e p a r e d t o a c c e p t w h a t h a s b e en t a u g h t f o r m a n y g e n e r a tio n s w i th o u t a n y sc ie n tific b as is o r c o n tr o lle d e x p e r im e n ts . D o e s h is n a m e We have available for Rental or Sale Invalid Chairs • Crutches • Fracture Boards * W a lk ing M ach ine s • In f r a -R e d La m ps A N D O T H E R E S S E N T I A L E Q U I P M E N T In fact, whatever your requirements may be, we shall endeavour to be of assistance m a t t e r ? (I g a v e it t o M is s B o d o a n o te l e p h o n ic a l ly a n d w h o e v e r w a n ts it m a y h a v e it w ith p le a s u re ) . I d id m e n tio n in m y t a l k th a t th e f o u n d e r o f th e e x c e lle n t s c h o o l in I s r a e l w a s f r o m th e C .S .P . a n d t h a t s h e h a d u n f o r t u n a t e l y d e v e lo p e d c a n c e r a n d h a d to r e t u r n h o m e . 1 c o m p le te ly fa il to u n d e r s ta n d h o w M is s B o d o a n o c o n c l u d e s t h a t I d e s p is e th e C .S .P . t e a c h e r s , b e c a u s e I c r itic is e d w h a t th e y te a c h . 1 m a d e it c le a r t h a t m y c r itic is m a p p lie s e q u a l ly to u s S p e c ia lis ts in P h y s ic a l M e d ic in e — o b v io u s ly , b e c a u s e w e la c k m o r e d e f in ite k n o w le d g e . I m u c h r e g r e t th a t M is s B o d o a n o r e g a r d s m y r e m a r k s a s “ p e tt y s h a f ts ” . T h e y w e re n e v e r m e a n t to b e s u c h , a n d y o u , M a d a m E d ito r , a n d all th e o t h e r p h y s io th e r a p i s ts w h o w e re p r e s e n t a t m y ta lk , c e r ta in ly d id n o t in d ic a t e t h a t y o u r e g a r d e d th e m a s s u c h . B o t h in m y ta lk a n d in p r i n t, I c le a r ly in d ic a te d th a t I c o u ld p e r f o r c e g ive o n l y a s u p e rf ic ia l s u rv e y . M y w illin g n e s s a t a ll tim e s, to giv e s o m e th in g c o n s tr u c tiv e , a s s u g g e s te d b y M is s B o d o a n o , h a s b e e n w ell s h o w n to y o u a n d y o u r w o r t h y b r a n c h o f M e d ic in e . S u re ly th e f in e s t w a y o f g iv in g e n c o u r a g e m e n t is n o t to in d u lg e in f u ls o m e p r a is e , o r u n d e r lin in g t h e o b v io u s , b u t is to d r a w a t t e n t io n t o o n e s s h o r t c o m in g s a n d to in d ic a te h o w th e s e a r e o v e r c o m e e ls e w h e r e . T h a n k i n g y o u f o r a llo w in g m e to u tilise y o u r v a lu a b le sp a c e , Y o u r s s in c e re ly , N o r m a n K la s s , M .B ., D . P h y s .M e d . T o th e E d ito r , I a m w ritin g o n b e h a l f o f th e U . C .T . S ta f f o f th e D e p a r t - m e n t o f P h y s i o th e r a p y , t o c o n g r a tu la t e M iss A . M . B o d o a n o f o r h e r s t r a ig h t f o r w a r d a n d te llin g le t te r in th e J u n e issue o f th e J o u r n a l. W e a ll w ish to e n d o r s e t h e v ie w s e x p r e ss e d . Y o u r s sin c e re ly , M a r g a r e t H . S. R o p e r , M .C .S .P . L e c tu r e r in P h y sio th e r a p y . BRI TTAN' S M E D I C A L SE R V I C E S S H O P S 15/16, B U R T O N CO U RT , Corner of P R E T O R IA and K IN G G E O R G E STREETS H IL L B R O W , J O H A N N E S B U R G TELEPHONE: 44 -2 6 5 7