MASSAGE TREATMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 179, 18 April 1918, Page 6

MASSAGE TREATMENT

OUR DUTY TO OUR SOLDIERS. Sir,—ln your issue of sth inst. a telegraphic message from Masterton contained the statement that Sir "Walter Buchanan, M.L.C., was bringing under the notice of the Minister of Defence the fact that a- number of wounded soldiers had been sent to the Masterton Hospital for massage treatment, when there is no masseur or apparatus at the institution, and the soldiers do not receive the requisite attention. With every shipload of, returned wounded soldiers there are scores of cases requiring urgent, skilful massa.go treatment, the lack of which means that the sufferers are doomed to Tiav» stiff limbs Ifor the rest of their lives. Were the relatives of these men aware of the remarkable results obtained by. this highlf scientific yet natural treatment, and then to realiso the Government s indifferent attitude towardsthai soldiers' needs in this direction, thing* would not long remain in tbo present unsatisfactory condition. The whole question of the tra-ninj and appointment to military hospitals or other institutions where" soldiers are treated of competent masseuses, and the provision of necessary apparatus, 1* an urgent one, which the Government should not neglect for a single day. Not only are scores of our men losing the use of their muscles and limbs through this criminal neglect, but the. country will have to pay increased pensions accordingly. Tho Government reoently advertised' a regulation to the effect that no masseuse will be recognised unless qualified through a recognised school —that school being the Otago University, or similar institution. It iB, of course, absolutely necessary that provision ba made to prevent incompetent, wouldbe masseuses foisting themselves upoiu the public. But the point is this. The number of masseuses turned out. by the Otago University each year isprobably less than a dozen. How arethe urgent demands of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of soldiers to be adequately met by this small supply, to say nothing of the needs of private institutions? Surely it is obvious that, the present method of obtaining com" petent masseuses is inadequate. But this not all. In consequence of the above-mentioned regulation,, thoroughly competent masseuses, with hospital experience, are being "turned, down" when applying for Government, positions, solely because they do not happen to have obtained their qualifications at the "recognised school." They are not even given the chance of proving their ability to the authorities. Surely, Sir, in this time of emergency the Government Health Department could protect itself against the harmful effects of incompetency by subjecting doubtful applicants to a theoretical and practical test sufficient to dispel any such doubt. Several competent massueses thus ignored by the Health Department have been eagerly engaged bylocal bodies; but why should our soldiers be deprived of their services? Oh the other hand, on at least one hospital ship, the massage work is undertaken by young men of the Medical Corps, who have had no previous experience whatever. How does the Department, reconcile this with its regulation? It has come to my knowledge that a well-known and publicly-recognised competent teacher has, from purely patriotic motives, volunteered on several, occasions to teach in this city, both, men and women, thoroughly in every branch of orthopaedic ?nd neurasthenia, work, free of charge. But the usual red tape refuses to accept this generous: offer. It is only right that the public: should know this. The case brought under notice by Sir AValter Buchanan serves to show the present lamentable shortage of masseuses. Returned soldiers are already complaining that although they received most beneficial treatment at Home they cannot obtain a continuance of it. here, even although they were told before leaving England that unless the treatment was continued in New Zealand they would probably lose the use. of their limbs for life. This sort of thing must not go on; and if the authorities do not act promptly _ those having the welfare of our soldiers at heart will have to tako steps to ventilate the grievance.—l am, etc., ORTHOPAEDIC. April 9.