SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES IN THE RE-EDUCATION OF THE DISABLED
When a disabled man has been fitted with an artificial limb he has to learn a trade which will enable him to supplement his pension and provide for himself and his family. In our opinion, which we believe we have expressed more than once in this book, it is nearly always advisable to determine what profession will ultimately be possible before ordering the artificial limb. This principle is perhaps not always thoroughly understood, although there are fitting centres where it is fully recognised (a proof of this may be found in a recent article by Nové-Josserand and Bouget).
It is unnecessary to repeat that whilst every effort must be made to associate form with function, the latter is bound to take precedence of the former. It is, however, not always easy to impress upon patients, and more especially upon their protectors, that form is for Sundays and holidays, and function is for workdays.
The grave problem of re-education of amputation cases, and in a more general sense of all the maimed, now confronts us. We believe it to be worth while to indicate the general principles so far as they are at present understood.