Play Helps: Toys and activities for children hypertension?
sion? That the stigma of a consequent correction but very little
with special needs, by Roma Lear. William
Heinemann Medical Books, London, 2nd
edn, 1986 (ISBN 0 433 19086 8).Illus. 186
pages. €9.95.
Children with special needs require from
time to time new toys or activities to help
them to attend, move and play purposefully.
These toys or activities do not, however,
have to be expensive or utilise advanced
technology.
Consequently, w i t h her extensive
experience, Roma Lear has created delightful
toys and devised stimulating activities to
help children to develop their sensory motor
abilities, for example, to make throwing bean
bags more challenging, she paints a smiling
face on a cardboard box. She cuts a large
mouth and attaches a bell which rings each
time a bean bag is successfully thrown in
(see figure).
Most of the activities require minimum
A n example of one of the author's clever
adaptations shown in 'Play Helps'
preparation and use inexpensive things
found in, the majority of homes.
This imaginative book is well written and
is supplemented with illuminating case
studies and pictures. It also contains a list
of relevant organisations and books which
will be of much use to readers wishing to
learn more about specialised methods of
teaching and handling. The book will
certainly be of interest t o Chartered
paediatric physiotherapists who incorporate
the creative use of toys and play in their
repertoire of approaches and techniques for
children with special needs.
CHlA SWEE HONG MA DipCOT
Transcultural Medicine: Dealing w i t h
patients from different cultures, by Bashir
Qureshi FRCGP. Kluwer Academic
Publishers, PO Box 55, Lancaster, 1988
(ISBN 0 85200 938 0).228 pages. f25.
This book is really a collection of 27 short
articles, on a single subject, previously
published in a range of medical magazines.
Dr Qureshi - born in India, trained in
Pakistan and working as a GP in London -
draws on his wide experience to make
several valid points, highlighting ethnic
physical differences of clinical importance
and warning of cultural taboos likely to cause
misunderstandings i n cross-cultural
consultations.
Did you know that enemas are taboo to
ethnic Asians, especially women? That West
Indians are prone to a unique form of severe
54
psychiatric referral may render an Asian
ineligible for an arranged marriage?
This and other useful information,
however, is covered by almost any one of the
articles in this book. Facts are stated and
restated: they are not explored in depth but
merely repeated to the point of tedium. We
are told no less than seven times that beef-
derived insulin is taboo to Hindus and pork
insulin to Muslims. It is very irritating to find
that t w o or three good articles have been
inflated into a book, not by development,
research or discussion, but purely by
repetition.
The strong suspicion of being the victim
of a marketing hype could induce cynicism
and create antagonism to the praiseworthy
(if monotonous) subject of these articles.
The author is as human as his readers and
displays the prejudices normal i n a
gentleman of his age and upbringing. He
believes that the problem of unemployed
female doctors 'so bitterly contested by
Womens' Lib' would be solved by them all
working in family planning clinics; and in his
view, to have the practice of female
circumcision banned by legislation 'would be
an over-reaction'.
I cannot recommend this book in its
present form but any of the single articles
on the subject by Dr Qureshi are well worth
reading, should you come across them.
PATRICIA ALLCHURCH BA MCSP
Physical Therapy Procedures: Selected
techniques, by Ann H Downer BA MS LPT.
Charles C Thomas, 2600 South First Street,
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9265,4th edn,
1988 (ISBN 0 398 05457 6).Illus. 326
pages. $24.75.
This fourth edition of Ms Downer's book
covers 'How to' do selected physiotherapy
techniques. It is achieved in 311 pages
consisting of eight parts with 40 chapters,
three appendices, bibliography and index.
The eight parts relate to introduction,
techniques for superficial heating, deep
heating, cold, electricity, ultraviolet, traction
and miscellaneous.
The book is out-dated in style in the
manner of Lace and Prosser of yesteryear.
It is also reminiscent of other books
produced in the 1940s and 1950s - a do-
it-all book with very little discrimination. lt
is prissy with the use of capital/block
lettering for emphasis, the approach is
narrative rather than outline and becomes
prescriptive in manner. We have moved away
from this.
The author states: 'The goal is to provide
systematic and correct approaches to
carrying out treatments with various pieces
of equipment.' The simple practical methods
have not been sacrificed and the text must
still be used to augment when, where and
what for and when not to, because theory
and techniques should not be separated in
the learning process.
I have no quarrel with the aims but the
book does not look or feel right. The author
states authoritatively what should be done
in practice without leeway for variation
within the guide lines: 'Is it following the
scientific basis, is it safe, is it achieving the
objectives?' It is rather like reading the
transcript of a tape recording of a practical
session where there has been demonstration
and subsequent practice by students with
individualism.
I like most of the content, the information
is generally sound. The data will give any
student a sound basis for practice. Some of
the procedures are not taught on the pre-
registration syllabus - iontophoresis,
medical galvanism, use of the Hubbard tank
fluidotherapy, combined UVR and IRR and
infra-red bakers (!I. There is no mention of
interferential. The equipment data in the
appendices are for the United States market.
The book leaves me uneasy - there is
some very useful information which could
be used by the experienced teaching the
inexperienced, but I do not like its style or
Iayout .
J A FOWLER BA MCSP DipTP
Back Pain: A practical guide t o coping, by
David and Linda Tagg. Crowood Press,
Crowood House, Ramsbury, Marlborough,
Wiltshire SN8 2HE, 1989 (ISBN 1 85223
161 0).Illus. 96 pages. €2.95.
This book is aimed at the general public
with or without back pain. Over six chapters
it covers the main areas of a back school.
The first chapter briefly explains the causes
of back pain, with more detail on the basic
structure of the back in chapter two. Further
chapters look at what can go wrong, giving
a very clear explanation of how disc damage
occurs and the resulting problems.
Explanations of how to reduce stress on
the back; looking at sitting posture, handling
objects, household and working situations
are also covered. There is a useful section
on various sporting activities. The last two
chapters cover coping with back pain at
home, w i t h a very comprehensive
explanation of all the tests and treatments
available.
The book is easy to read with the text
clearly laid out. There are very few diagrams,
however, and more would make the
explanation easier to understand.
It is one of many books that provide a
useful adjunct to a back school, or give the
information needed to look after your back
for those people to whom a back school is
not available.
KAREN SMITH MCSP
Healing with Radionics - The science of
healing energy, by A L G Dower. Thorsons,
Wellingborough, 1988 (ISBN 0 7225 1541
3).96 pages. €4.99.
This small book describes in pi:: chapters,
the historical background, training for and
applications of radionics.
The basis on which 'the healing energy'
works is by using a 'witness' which could
be a drop of blood or strand of hair, placed
in a special apparatus, which is operated by
the practitioner, who then uses various
methods to find out the best way to effect
a cure for the owner of the 'witness'.
The first chapter gives the historical back-
ground and evolution of the techniques. The
second chapter explains how practitioners
are trained and subsequent chapters
describe the various situations in which
radionics has been successful. These include
both agricultural and human applications.
There is no attempt to describe controlled
trials to prove the effectiveness of this
practice, but one is left with a curiosity to
know more about it.
NADIA ELLIS, MCSP
Physiotherapy, January 1990,vol76, no 1