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Three patients were diagnosed as "mismanagement" and
referred to the Child Guidance Clinic. In four cases, all following
whooping cough, pulmonary tuberculosis was suspected and the
patients were sent for observation to the Tuberculosis Clinic;
four patients were also found to be suffering from asthma either
caused by or aggravated by whooping cough. Signs of rickets
were found in two children, one following scarlet fever and one
following whooping cough, and rheumatism followed the infectious
disease in one case after diphtheria and in a second case after
scarlet fever. There were two cases of muscular weakness following
diphtheria and one child developed an umbilical hernia as a
result of whooping cough. It has already been mentioned that
this year has been remarkable for the occurrence of the lowest
number of cases of scarlet fever ever recorded in the borough, ana
as the number of cases of diphtheria and measles was also very
low the total number of cases seen at this clinic is likely to increase
next year. Judging from the results of this year's work it appears
that great care is taken that no child is discharged from a London
County Council fever hospital until it is reasonably fit to return
home. On the other hand I feel sure that the Council appreciating
the value of the work which has been done in this clinic will approve
of its continuation.
POST-NATAL AND SPECIAL CLINICS FOR WOMEN.
The total number of attendances during the year was 659.
of this number 276 were new patients attending for the first time.
Dr. Dodds points out that may of the patients attending these
clinics are more or less resigned to the symptoms as being part of
the penalty of that time of life in women; they are mostly
unaware that any relief, even from minor discomfort, is possible
The clinics fulfil a useful purpose in many ways, but especially
in the following conditions:—
(1) The treatment of menstrual irregularities. Several of the
patients in this group had severe menorrhagia, which they
considered to be a minor discomfort and a phenomenon to
be expected at the menopause. Treatment was possible in
these cases before they became debilitated and anaemic.