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The work of the ante-natal clinic of the Women's League of
Service is referred to on page 26.
The number of new cases seen at the municipal clinics (except
the Maternity Hospital) shewed in total an increase over the
previous year of 78 per cent. This may be attributed directly
to the operation of the new London County Council midwifery
service, under which patients are persuaded to attend at definite
intervals during the ante-natal period.
The work of visiting and reporting upon Battersea cases, which
is done by the Council's health visiting staff for the obstetric and
gynaecological departments of several of the larger hospitals is
summarised on page 28.
Ante-Natal (V.D.) Clinic.
This special treatment clinic was established in connection
with the out-patient department at the Borough Maternity
Hospital late in 1921. The clinic was fully equipped with the necessary
requisites for diagnosis and treatment, and was under the
direction and supervision of a specialist consultant (Mr. H. Corsi,
f.r.c.s.). Mr. Corsi reports as follows :—
" The number of patients examined during 1938 by Wassermann
test was 675. Of these one only gave a positive result, though
four others showed the probable presence of a mild degree of
infection. The one case was fully treated, and, though the patient
has not yet been confined, it can fairly safely be expected, that a
healthy infant will be born. The other four cases received treatment
considered adequate for their cases, and during the year
there has been no difficulty in getting patients to come to the clinic.
'* Three babies, whose mothers were treated in 1937 were also
tested and found clear of all trace of blood infection. It was not
possible to examine the blood of one further infant, but it has
seemed healthy to ordinary medical examination.