Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 200-201. (Budapest, 2007)

TANULMÁNYOK — ARTICLES - FORRAI, Judit: History of a Special Healing Method for Motor-disordered Children: Conductive Education - A mozgásszervi betegségben szenvedő gyermekek egyik sajátos gyógymódja, a konduktív nevelés története

tute education had not been introduced yet. At that time I was already a first year student in a grammar school, and I managed to continue my studies in such a way that I took the exams separately at the end of March. From the beginning of April to the end of October I was in the institute, and then 1 went back to school again. Later some teachers from a primary school near by went regularly to the institute to give lessons that took place in the afternoons. In the afternoons there was an hour of walking exercises and for example to improve our sense of balance they would put a breadbasket on our heads which was not allowed to fall down. Ifit did fall, the breadbasket was put back on the student's head again and they were reminded that they were not careful enough and should be more careful next time. This lasted until five. At six we had supper. As the calorie rich tea had been at four, for supper we got very light vegetable purees, on Monday spinach, Tuesday sorrel, Wednesday mixed vegetables, and then again sorrel, spinach and mixed vegetables. During that time I had enough vegetables for the rest of my life. So in the evening we always had such a light supper. After supper we had free time, when the conductors read stories, arranged games for all of us and during this time we could write letters or read, and as far as I remember we had to go to bed at nine. ... There was a flute course arranged for those who had arm disorders or could move their hands with difficulty, and already while I was there one well-known flute artist from the Opera House gave us lessons twice a week. Theoretically only those of us could have flute lessons, whose arms were paralysed, but unofficially a few other children who could move their fingers well also took part in the lessons, among them András Pernye

63 who came to like Blockflöte there. I was also in this group and when we had visitors we had to perform. Those who could play really well were taken to the Opera House, which was how I got to go there for the first time in my life, to see Madam Butterfly. Five of us were taken then, and we as teenagers wanted to get beautifully dressed, to put our civil clothes on. But in the afternoon three head physicians appeared and got us dressed in our chequered uniforms, we put our cork-soled shoes on, and we were told that we should be proud of being Movement Therapy Institute patients and not be fussy about such superfluous matters. We were taken by taxi and in the interval the conductor was asked to come and see us, and talked to us about the beauty of music and the magnificence of opera. I managed to get to the Opera three times and my love for music may have had its foundation there". Everybody had to work according to the best of his or her ability. Pető did not only expect the work but he also checked it. Pető also used his method effectively with adults. He could achieve quick results with his therapy for different back, lower-back, leg and other complaints of the leading politicians and prominent personalities of his time. Pál Gegesi Kiss, one of the important personalities of medical society, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Medicine, was one of the few people who acknowledged Pető's effective and special education from a professional point of view. However his excellent colleague, Lucy Liebermann had also used movement education with hearing and speech 63 András Pernye (1928-1980) music aesthetician