Biomicroscopy of the Eye

The ideals and aims of rehabilitation have been reiterated ad nauseam in all sorts of places and on all sorts of platforms. It is, as Lord Horder has said, a subject so much in the air that it is in danger of remaining in the air, and any contribution that brings it down to earth is to be welcomed. The present volume certainly does that. It is, we are told, the first of a series of books which the author is writing under the general heading of The Rehabilitation of the Injured; and occupational therapy is dealt with first, not because it is more important than its stable companions-remedial exercises, recreational therapy, and physiotherapy-but because it is the one about which there is the greatest dearth of practical guidance. The author treats his subject, not from the diversional standpoint but as a disguised form of remedial exercise used for the re-education and redevelopment of specific muscle groups and the mobilization of specific joints. The disguise takes the form of purposive movements with a creative interest, and in his interpretation of the latter the author is not fettered by overartistic tendencies. A well-scrubbed lavatory floor is as much an object of beauty to the man who has scrubbed it as an exquisitely woven scarf of many colours-or so it would be in any department over which Mr. Colson held sway. The basic principles of remedial exercises are expounded in an early chapter, and it is shown how these can be preserved in occupational therapy. The next section deals with a variety of handicrafts, each of which is discussed under three headings: (1) " Remedial Use," which deals with indications, aims, craft analysis, and remedial application; (2) " Craft Technique," which gives clear working instructions for those who wish to learn the occupation; (3) "Constructional Work," which amplifies the previous section. This arrangement of material makes the book extremely useful to the busy surgeon who wishes to acquaint himself with the principles of occupational therapy but has neither time nor desire to wade through a mass of technical detail. The crafts chosen are simple enough to be learned by short-term patients, and most of them are within the compass of the dull and the " ham-handed " as well as the intelligent and dexterous, a point not always sufficiently appreciated. In the section on weaving several ingenious looms are illustrated. These are adapted respectively for knee, a?ikle, shoulder, forearm, and finger cases. Finally, there is a description of the author's " universal " loom, which, despite its almost frightening resemblance to a prehistoric Wurlitzer organ, manages to incorporate the remedial possibilities of all the lot. There is a special chapter on woodwork, with a section devoted to various outdoor and indoor occupations ranging from simple domestic chores to really heavy timber work suitable for the final stages of hardening. This attitude towards occupational therapy is refreshing, and should go far towards removing the doubts of those surgeons to whom it is still "something rather arty-crafty, more suitable for old ladies with Colles's fractures than for miners with broken backs." The quotation is from the foreword by Mr. E. A. Nicoll, who goes on to confess that for his agnosticism he was compelled to sample each occupation in turn, and thereby found himself successively qualified as a farm labourer, a handicraft worker, and a domestic servant. This book is clearly written and well illustrated. It has a practical and original outlook, and deserves to be read not only by occupational therapists but by every surgeon who is responsible for the treatment of injuries.