7th Combined Meeting of the Orthopaedic Associations
South Africa, Cape Town · 1982-03-22
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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This cover is postmarked on 22-03-1982 in Cape Town. It marks the Seventh Combined Meeting of the Orthopaedic Associations of the English-Speaking World, the first time the meeting was held in South Africa. The gathering, held once every six years since a 1948 reunion of World War II surgeons in Canada, rotated previously between the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet shows a simple outline map of South Africa above the words "Republic of South Africa". Six small national flags sit beside the map in a grid: the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Australia, South West Africa and New Zealand. Cape Town is marked at the map's southern tip. The bilingual meeting title runs along the bottom in bold capitals, and a protea stamp and matching postmark sit to the right of the design.
Information Card
SEVENTH COMBINED MEETING OF THE ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATIONS OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD The term „orthopédie", adapted from two Greek words, orthos, meaning straight or upright, and paidion, a child, was first used by the Parisian surgeon Nicolas Andry in 1741. From its original aim of helping crippled children orthopaedic surgery has expanded its ambit to include all conditions and deformities affecting bones and joints as well as the muscles, tendons and nerves that operate them. Orthopaedic surgeons are more concerned with the enhancement of the quality of life than with its preservation. The orthopaedic surgeons of South Africa are honoured to host the Seventh Combined Meeting of the Orthopaedic Associations of the English-speaking World in Cape Town during the week 22 to 28 March 1982. Occurring once every six years, the meeting rotates between the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and now for the first time, South Africa. From a small beginning in 1948 when the first meeting in Canada was in effect a reunion of surgeons who had served the casualties of World War II, each successive meeting has taken on more scientific significance until now it is an event of major international importance, each national association choosing its most outstanding scientific contributions to present to the mainstream of orthopaedic surgery. Topics to be discussed at the Cape Town meeting span the whole spectrum of twentieth century orthopaedic endeavour. These include the total replacement of hip, knee and finger joints crippled by paralysis, tuberculosis and other agents; improved methods of fracture management, and the control of sepsis, thrombosis and other complications. New advances are coming at an increasing tempo, spurred on by the advent of aseptic surgery, anaesthetics and Röntgen's X-rays in the nineteenth century, and a combination of implantable materials and antibiotics developed in our age. The meeting will also deal with less euphoric aspects such as the continued incidence of the preventable crippling diseases poliomyelitis and bone tuberculosis throughout the Third World.
Theme: Science & Technology
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Stamp denomination: R0.47 (ZAR)
Estimated value: ~US$0.1
This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.
This first day cover (FDC) is part of Southern Covers, a private collection of 211 first day covers documenting the postal history and philately of South Africa and the homeland states. New to first day cover collecting? Read the guide to learn about cachets, postmarks, and stamp collecting terms, or browse the whole collection of Southern African FDCs.
