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35
open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every week-day, and provision for intermediate treatment
is available also on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
During the year 1936 the number of new patients attending the clinic was
3,430, and attendances totalled 298,086. Of the new patients 75 per cent. of the
male and 73 per cent. of the female venereal cases were infections of less than one
year's duration.
The number of pathological examinations made at the clinic during the year
was 70,980; of these 10,017 were made for private practitioners. All these figures
are included in the figures for the scheme as a whole.
As at other clinics in the scheme, facilities for the study of venereal diseases
are available for midwives, medical students and post-graduates. In addition a
special course of instruction for post-graduates is held twice a year.
On the 31st March, 1936, Dr. T. Anwyl Davies, the director of the clinic,
resigned, on his appointment as director of the venereal diseases clinic at St. Thomas'
hospital. Dr. Anwyl Davies was the first director of the Council's clinic and by his
initiative, energy and professional skill was mainly responsible for the great success
which has attended the work of the clinic.
The position was filled by the appointment of Colonel E. T. Burke, D.S.O.,
formerly medical officer of the Salford venereal diseases clinic.
Facilities for the treatment of venereal diseases are also provided within the
Council's municipal hospitals service. Special wards are provided for both male
and female patients and provision is also made for maternity cases. In addition,
children suffering from vulvo-vaginitis or from congenital syphilis are accommodated
in special units. Further details are contained in Vol. IV, Part I, of the Annual
Report.
Under present arrangements, the British Social Hygiene Council exercises
certain of the Council's powers relating to propaganda work, and is assisted in this
work by local propaganda committees which work in close co-operation with the
public health committees of the Metropolitan Borough Councils. During the year
1936, some 448 addresses and lectures, several illustrated by film exhibitions were
given in the London area, the total estimated attendance thereat being 57,160. A
grant of £1,350 was made by the Council to the British Social Hygiene Council for
this work.
Publicity and
propaganda.
In the Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health
for the year 1935, reference is made to the incidence of venereal disease in England
and Wales as disclosed by the returns received from the various treatment centres.
It is pointed out that as regards syphilis, the number of cases dealt with in all stages
of the disease in 1920 was 42,805, whilst for the year 1935 the figure had declined
to 19,335.
Apparent
decline in the
incidence of
syphilis.
From 1931, the first year in which detailed figures relating to cases of acquired
syphilis were recorded, the incidence of syphilitic infections of less than one year's
duration is shown to have fallen by over 34 per cent., viz., from 9,104 cases in 1931
to 5,971 in the year 1935. As regards congenital syphilis dealt with at the centres
a steady fall in the number of cases has occurred and evidence of a steady decline
in the transmission of syphilis to offspring is apparent from the mortality rate of
children under one year per 1,000 live births from this disease; the rate for 1917
being 2.03, and for the year 1935, 0.29 per 1,000 live births.
The above figures for England and Wales are reflected in those received from
treatment centres in the London and Home counties scheme.
The number of cases of syphilis dealt with for the first time at the clinics in the
London and Home Counties Scheme has fallen from 10,567 in 1920 to 3,611 for the
year 1936. Acquired syphilis with infections of less than one year has declined