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About 70% are Post-Natal cases and I find that much can
be done to relieve them of the minor discomforts, such as backache
and vaginal discharge, which so frequently follow childbirth.
These symptoms are due to a variety of causes, the commonest
of which is infection of the torn cervix, cured by electrical
cauterisation.
After improvement of these symptoms the patient's general
health often improves and all patients seem to be very grateful
for the attention given to these matters.
The Gynaecological cases seen have been varied and many
cases have been sent to Dr. Rosser and Dr. Rose at Redhill for
operation. One very early case of carcinoma of the cervix was
detected and several other suspects proved negative.
A considerable number of patients complaining of sterility
have been investigated and many have become pregnant.
I am certain that these Clinics are performing a most useful
part of the Health Services of ithe Borough. In the future they
may well need considerable expansion.
6. The following is Dr. Fisher's report on the Birth Control
Clinics:—
In June, 1936, the first attendance was made at the recently
established Birth Control Clinics in Wembley, and in June, 1946,
the .total of new patients in the ten years reached 1,000, the
number at the end of December, 1946, being 1,074. In 1936 the
average attendance per Clinic was 2, all being at ithat time newcomers.
The new cases now work out at an average of about 6
per session, the re-visits averaging 20.
The contraceptive method recommended has remained very
much .the same throughout the 10 years and the very lack of
alteration in method is an indication of the general satisfactoriness
of the results.
Of 129 patients receiving contraceptive advice during 1946,
78 had already been employing some method before coming to
the Clinic for further advice; 24 of these had ibeen using a
chemical pessary alone and 16 of ithem had become pregnant
while relying on it.
Contraceptive advice is not given except for medical reasons;
these include a desirable interval between pregnancies, and it is
for this " spacing" of their families that the greater proportion
of mothers come, especially if there has been any complication
or difficulty in the preceding pregnancy. Oither medical grounds
for which advice was given during the year were tuberculosis,
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