G E N E R A L W e w elcom e to S o u th A frica , M iss M . J. N e ils o n , G e n e ra l S e c re ta ry , W o rld C o n fe d e ra tio n o f P hysical T h e ra p y . A n a p p re c ia tio n o f M iss N e ilso n will be fo u n d elsew here in t h is J o u rn a l. A t th e sa m e tim e we e x te n d a w elcom e to M iss Je n n ife r H ic k lin g , M .C .S .P ., w h o has c o m e to P re to ria th ro u g h th e in itia tiv e o f th e N o r th e rn T ra n s v a a l B ra n c h . A n o th e r re ce n t a rriv a l fro m E n g la n d is M iss B a r b a r a C o c k e rs o le w h o h as jo in e d th e sta ff o f th e S chool o f P h y s io ­ th e ra p y , U n iv e rsity o f W itw a te rsra n d . P h y s io th e ra p y in S o u th A fric a s h o u ld benefit fro m these th re e o verseas v isito rs w h o e ac h in th e ir differe n t sp h eres have m u ch to offer us. W e h o p e th ey w ill a ll g ain so m e th in g fro m us a n d en jo y th e ir sta y w ith u s be it lo n g o r sh o rt. M arriages: L eo n ie K lin g to N e il P o rte r o n D e c e m b e r 12th. V e ra A b o u c h a b k i to H e n rie J a c o b . R o s e m a ry G re e n w a y to A d W egner. M iss C o lle e n W est w as m a rrie d t o M r . P a tr i c k S h u ttle w o rth . M iss E th n a M ille r w as m a rrie d to D r. F re d W o o d ric h . M iss B e rn ic e K a tz e n w as m a rrie d to M r. L o u ie B loom . M iss E. L e o n a rd to M r. O lie. M iss I. M a ritz to M r. G . S a u e rm a n . M iss E. R . Segal to M r. H . W . T ro k is . Births: T o M a u rise a n d E le a n o r T a y lo r a so n in N o v e m b e r. T o U w e a n d E d d a K ro g e r (n £ e B ru n n -M e y e r) a d a u g h te r o n D e c e m b e r 2nd. Page 14 L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R T h e E d ito r, P hysiotherapy. D e a r M a d a m , D r . M ills a n d th e P ro v in c ia l H o s p ita ls h a v e a very s tro n g c ase fo r th e re d u c tio n o f P h y s io th e ra p y sa la rie s to th a t b elow th e level o f th e n u rse s. T h a t is so lo n g as th e tre n d o f th o u g h t pe rsists t h a t th e w o rk d o n e o n th e W a rd s by P h y s io th e ra p ists is, as a n a d ju n c t o f n u rsin g , m o re im p o rta n t to th a t c a rrie d o u t in th e D e p a rtm e n t. I find m o re a n d m o re o f th e y o u n g P h y s io th e ra p ists lo o k d o w n o n th e w o rk d o n e in th e D e p a rtm e n t. T hey c o n sid e r th ey a re saving lives o n th e W a rd s. M a n y c o n sid er them selves m o re im p o rta n t e ith e r th a n th e D o c to rs o r the Sisters, w h a te v e r th e H o s p ita l A u th o ritie s m ay th in k o f th em ! H a s D r. M ills how ev er, fo rg o tte n th a t th e low b a c k p ain is still o n e o f th e m o st co stly c o n d itio n s th a t I n d u s try has in th e lo ss o f m an h o u r s ? Is it n o t a d u ty o f a H o s p ita l to p ro v id e a service fo r th is ty p e o f c o n d itio n ? A re we n o t m o re o n a p a r w ith th e p ro fessio n s o f O s te o ­ p a th y a n d C h iro p ra c tic s in th is p a rtic u la r field, w ith o u r T ra c tio n , M a n ip u la tio n a n d S p in a l C o rre c tiv e Exercises. T w o p ro fessio n s w h o c o n sid e r them selves o n th e level o f D o c to rs o f M e dicine ra th e r th a n o n th e level o f N u rs in g . In th e field o f R e h a b ilita tio n , d o e s n o t P h y s io th e ra p y p la y a m o st im p o rta n t p a rt. T h e In s u ra n c e C o m p a n ie s in th e U .S .A . realise th a t it c a n c u t th e ir c o sts in in d u stry a n d tra u m a tic injuries, th e re fo re it h a s th e ir ba ck in g . Surely th e P ro v in c ia l H o s p ita ls m u st realise th e P h y sio ­ th e ra p is ts v a lu e to th e S ta te in th is field. F in a lly in th e field o f R e h a b ilita tio n th e O rth o p a e d ic m echanic play s a larg e p a rt. B u t w hy c a n n o t a P h y s io th e ra ­ p ist, ever rise, ho w ev er lo n g sh e m ay sta y in th e service o f th e P ro v in c ia l H o s p ita ls , to th e sa la ry level e q u iv a le n t to th e scale o f O rth o p a e d ic M a n a g e r? A g a in w h e re o u r value o n th e W a rd s in T e ta n u s a n d P u m p cases is g en erally a cc ep te d , w hy c a n n o t a P h y s io th e ra p ist ev er rise to th e scale p a id to a P rin c ip a l L a b o ra to ry T e c h n ic ia n ? Y o u rs sincerely, B E R T R A M G . M O T H . T h e E d ito r, The S o u th A frican Journal o f P hysiotherapy. D e a r M a d a m , “ W h a t d o e s th e P h y s io th e ra p y Society d o fo r m e ? I pay m y su b s c rip tio n y e a r in a n d y e a r o u t a n d w h a t d o I get fo r it? A n d now th e s u b s c rip tio n has been ra ised — I th in k I ’ll re sig n !” H o w o ften h ave th ese th o u g h ts been u tte re d by m yself a n d m y colle ag u e s. B u t it is o n ly in th e last few m o n th s th a t I h ave h a d re a so n to a p p re c ia te th e m an y w o n d e rfu l a d v a n ta g e s o f b e ing a m em ber. T h e a n n u a l c o u n cil m ee tin g a t w hich a ll o u r b ra n ch e s a re re p re se n te d , p lu s c o rre sp o n d e n c e th ro u g h o u t th e year, e n su re s c o n ta c t w ith e ach in d iv id u a l a ctiv e m em b e r keeping th e m in to u c h w ith m o d e rn d e v elo p m en ts. O u r a tte n d a n c e a n d in te re s t a n d th e p a r t we ta k e in d isc u ssio n s a ll c o n trib u te to stre n g th e n th e o rg a n iz a tio n because, fo r a society to give o f its b est it m u st h a v e a re ce p tiv e m e m b e rsh ip re a d y to give o f th e ir b e st as well. O u r S o ciety offers a q u a rte rly jo u r n a l o f a high sta n d a rd , a n d c o n trib u tio n s a re alw ay s w elcom e— let u s h elp one a n o th e r by s h a rin g o u r v aried e x periences th ro u g h th is m edium . T h e p ro te c tio n o f o u r p ro fe ssio n a g a in st m isuse by “ q u a c k s ” is a m a jo r c o n c e rn o f o u r S ociety a n d the b a ttle fo r th e c o m p u lso ry re g is tra tio n o f p h y sio th e ra p ists is slowly succeeding. T h is m ay so u n d like a n o ld s to ry b u t th e active b a ttle c o n tin u e s. T h e c o u n tle ss h o u rs o f w o rk by som e of o u r w o rth ie s t m em b e rs in d ra w in g u p m e m o ra n d a , d ra ft b ills, e tc ., a n d c o n su ltin g w ith g o v e rn m e n t officials is d e se rv in g o f th e hig h est p ra ise. H o w d o o v e rsea s p e rso n a litie s co m e to visit S outh A fric a ? A t w h o se in v ita tio n d o th ey tra v e l th o se m any m iles to e n lig h ten us o n th e ir p a rtic u la r s u b je c ts? O u r tre a s u re r m an a g es in so m e u n c a n n y w ay to s tre tc h the S o c iety ’s p u rse to a n u n b e lie v a b le c ap a c ity c o vering these visits, re fre sh e r c o u rses, a n d a h o st o f o th e r a ctivities, all o f w hich we m em b e rs find m o st e n jo y a b le a n d beneficial. F ew o f us feel satisfied w ith th e sa laries offered in p ro v in ­ c ia l h o sp ita ls— a n d w ho is th e re b e tte r a b le to fight this issu e fo r u s th a n o u r w ell-e stab lish e d Society. H ow ever, fo r o u r p a rt, so m e c o n stru c tiv e su g g e stio n s to th e Society w o u ld , I feel su re , be m o re effective th a n o u r vague m oans to n o n e in p a rtic u la r. T h e re is o rg a n iz a tio n a t Society level o f v o lu n ta ry work e.g. g e ria tric s a n d p a ra p le g ic s p o rt— a n y o ffers?! T h e m in u te s o f th e last c o u n cil m eeting leav es us in no d o u b t o f th e a m o u n t o f w o rk d o n e fo r in stan c e by su b ­ c o m m itte e s su c h a s th e eig h t b ra n c h c o m m itte es, th e Blind G r o u p , th e P riv a te P ra c titio n e rs G r o u p , a ll o f w h o m work specifically fo r us. T h ro u g h th e Society we a re represented o n v a rio u s o th e r c o m m itte e s su c h as C rip p le C a re , N ational C o u n c il fo r W o m e n , S o u th A fric a n P a ra p le g ic G am es, A s so c ia tio n , N a tio n a l C o u n c il fo r th e C a re o f th e Aged, A v a lo n A s so c ia tio n , P a ra m e d ic a l A s so c ia tio n , World C o n fe d e ra tio n fo r P h y sic a l T h e ra p y . W ith o u t o u r Society o u r s ta n d a rd w o u ld undoubtedly sink, b e ca u se it is th ey w h o w o rk c o n tin u o u s ly to m aintain th e h igh level a t w h ich we find ou rselv es to d a y . South A fric a ’s a c c e p ta n c e o n to th e w o rld m a p in physiotherapy is p u re ly as a re su lt o f o u r sta u n c h e st w o rk e rs. O u r strong c o n tin g e n t o f 19 de le g ate s to th e la s t W o rld C o n g re ss of P h y s io th e ra p y is a n in d ic a tio n o f th e e n th u s ia sm o f members. T h e c o m p a ris o n is o fte n m a d e betw een subscriptions fo r m em b e rsh ip o f th e C h a rte re d Society o f Physiotherapy a n d th a t fo r o u r Society. O n e sh o u ld re m e m b e r that, w h e rea s th e C h a rte re d Society m em b e rsh ip list ru n s into th o u s a n d s , o u r S ociety is a very m u ch sm a lle r g ro u p . The su b s c rip tio n s m u st, th e re fo re , o f necessity, b e hig h er and w e s h o u ld n o t h e sita te to p a y u p g racefully so th a t we will go fro m s tre n g th to stre n g th . L et e ac h o f u s ste p fo rw a rd w ith c o n trib u tio n s and su g g e stio n s— giving as well a s ta k in g a n d p lay in g our s e p a ra te p a rts in th e jo in t b u ild -u p o f a n even stronger p ro fe s sio n a l g ro u p . Y o u rs sincerely, “ A o n c e a p a th e tic o rd in a ry m em ber.” March, 1964P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y 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. )