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117
REPORT By Dr. JANET K. AITKEN
The most striking feature of the analysis of medical findings is the high proportion
of anaemia among the patients. It is probably considerably higher even than the
figures indicate, as a patient has not been definitely labelled "Anæmia " unless a
full blood count has been done, and this has not been possible in all cases that were
suspected. At this clinic almost all the cases sent for a full blood count have proved
to be anaemic, but my experience elsewhere has proved that a clinical diagnosis of
anaemia can be very misleading—patients in whom the mucous membrane, as well as
the skin, appeared to be pale having normal haemoglobin and red blood cell count.
There are no cases of pernicious anaemia in this group; they are nearly all microcytic
anaemias with a low colour index, and treatment with iron has had an immediate beneficial
effect. Very few panel patients attend the clinic, and the expense of the large
doses of iron required over a long period makes it very difficult for these patients to
be referred back to their general practitioners, as one would wish—it is usually impossible
for them to afford the necessary medical attention.
There have been many conflicting opinions and statistics published about the
incidence of anaemia in women, and my experience in attending hospital out-patients
has not led me to suppose that anaemia was a very common complaint; not nearly
as common as this clinic's figures indicate. An analysis of the type of patient affected
shows, however, that a very large proportion are mothers with young children. I
believe that it is these women who usually receive no medical attention, they have not
the time or the energy to attend the hospital out-patients, and they have not the means
to attend their general practitioner. They will however attend the clinic; it is near
at hand, and doesnt take so long as going to hospital. It would seem therefore that
the explanation of the different statistics published is due to the different groups of
patients examined, and that one indication of the value of the clinic is that a type of
patient is attending the clinic which is not getting treatment elsewhere, and this type
of patient is in urgent need of attention.
(b) Gynæcological clinic.
During the year 72 sessions were held, 248 new cases attended the clinic and the
total attendances were 769. As in the case of the medical clinic most of the patients
were referred by clinic doctors or by health visitors.
The age distribution of the patients is shown in the following table :—

The youngest patient was aged 15 years, and the oldest 52 years. The mean
age of these 248 patients was 30.2 years.