July, 1948 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y Page Three

Foreword
The Editor of the Journal o f the South 

African Society of Physiotherapists has 
asked me for a forew ord to this issue o f the 
Journal. I gladly com ply with his request, 
because as a general practitioner in the 
country, as a general practitioner in a city, 
and as a specialist surgeon in the City of 
Johannesburg, I doubt whether I have appre­
ciated the assistance of any body of people 
connected with the medical profession, but 
not qualified in medicine, more than I have 
appreciated the w ork and the assistance of 
physiotherapists, both for myself, as a patient 
and for m y patients.

I have always been in favour o f early 
movements and early exercises and early 
physiotherapeutic treatment, guided by skilled 
practitioners. I owe the members of the 
Society a great debt and I am satisfied that 
I am not alone in this.

In latter years, I have had more to do with 
the injured workman than with any other

patients, and I make bold to say that a 
masseur or masseuse of character can help at 
least as much as the surgeon to get the injured 
workman back to work, and to get the injured 
workm an back to w ork is the object o f all 
treatment; get him back happy if you can, 
but get him back. I said something like this, 
I find, in the September number o f your 
journal in 1930. I believe in character and 
personality for the masseur and the masseuse 
and the practitioner of physiotherapy more 
than ever nearly 20 years afterwards. Effi­
ciency, o f course; knowledge o f the job 
certainly, but character above all.

A  fresh start is being made with your 
Journal, I understand. I wish you well. An 
attractive Journal can do a lot to keep the 
profession together, to keep the members 
interested and create enthusiasm for the job,
Good luck to you all.

JOSEPH J. LEVIN.

Editorial
During the course of the last twenty years, 

the Journal of the South African Society of 
Physiotherapists has had rather a chequered 
career. First printed and published in Cape 
Town, it later m oved to Pietermaritzburg. 
After a few years there it returned to the town 
of its birth, in which place it continued to 
reside until 1946.

It will be seen, therefore, that without the 
enthusiasm of the Cape Town members, ably 
led, first by Miss A. Dreebin and later by Mr. 
G. S. Schermbrucker, it would have been 
extremely difficult for the Society to have 
carried on such a publication.

Since 1946, and owing to circumstances 
over which the Society had no control, the 
Journal has been out of circulation, a fact 
which has caused grave concern to all, and, 
in particular, to your Central Executive Com ­
mittee. The members of this hard working 
body have now  requested the present Editor 
and his Committee to emulate the deeds of 
former stalwarts.

Inexperienced as we are, not feeling at all 
nke stalwarts and fully conscious of our short­
comings, we do, however, take pleasure in 
introducing Physiotherapy as the successor

to the Journal. W e sincerely hope that, in 
time, it will fulfil the long felt want caused 
by the non-appearance of the latter.

It must here be stressed that the success 
of such an undertaking depends primarily 
upon the support and co-operation of 
members. It is not enough just to read the 
Journal. If you like some particular feature 
write and let us know. If you definitely dis­
like something, or think that the whole thing 
is w rong from  front to back, also write and 
give us your views and suggestions.

W e don’t know what you think and must 
rely on your letters to give us a cross current 
of your views. If you are not a m ember of the 
Society contact the General Secretary, or 
write and tell us how you think it might be 
improved. Through the medium of Physio­
therapy we have a glorious opportunity for 
unification and as the m otto of this country 
states, “ Unity is Strength.”

For contributing the forew ord to this issue, 
we offer our thanks to Mr. Joseph J. Levin, 
who, in addition to being a good friend of the 
Society for many years, has also been 
H onorary President of the Transvaal Branch 
since 1932. Thank you, Mr. Levin.

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