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disorders which can be dealt with efficiently at an outdoor clinic, but which if left
untreated would certainly cause considerable trouble or discomfort and which might
lead to more grave conditions, requiring in-patient treatment in hospital.
Financial aspect.—During 1938 no alterations were made in the fees which the
patients are required to pay. Women who receive treatment at either clinic pay the
sum of Is. per attendance, and those who receive birth control appliances are required
to refund to the Council the cost thereof, but the medical officer of health is empowered
to use his discretion in the matter of the collection of the charges for birth
control appliances, in cases where the women concerned are unable to afford the cost.
The fee is usually collected before the apparatus is supplied. Any female adult who
resides or works in the borough may attend the clinic.
RESULTS
(a) Medical Clinic.
During the year 99 sessions were held, 296 new cases attended the clinic, and
the total attendances were 1165. Most of these patients were referred by clinic
doctors or by health visitors ; cases were also referred from the ante-natal clinic and
from the gynaecological clinic.
The age distribution of the patients is shown in the following table :—-

The youngest patient was aged 20 years and the oldest 58 years. The mean age
of these 296 patients was 32-2 years. It will be seen that a considerable proportion
of the women were at an age when the strain of child-bearing was beginning to assert
itself.
The obstetric history of the patients is shown in the following table :—