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118
Report by Dr. Janet K. Aitken.
The Medical Clinic has progressed satisfactorily during the year. The patients
during the last six months were rather more numerous, and kept us fully occupied.
The number of new cases of anaemia has not diminished. Anaemia is very prevalent
in the type of patient that we get at this clinic, and a very high proportion of the
mothers with young children suffer from this complaint; with adequate treatment,
however, the improvement in their wellbeing is most marked. We have only sent a
few to a pathological laboratory for full blood counts, as we are now doing a routine
Talquist estimation. This is not a very accurate test, but is often sufficient for our
purpose, as the anaemia is so marked ; it is also useful as an indication of progress.
It appears to me that there are two main functions of the clinic which are of
value. One is that in cases of severe organic disease, a diagnosis can be made at a
much earlier stage than is otherwise likely. The patients who attend are not in the
habit of consulting either their private doctor or of going to a hospital until they feel
seriously ill, because they have little time or money. They will, however, attend the
clinic, and thus earlier symptoms are revealed.
Another important aspect is a psychological one. Although I do not think that
a psychiatric clinic is required where serious psycho-analytic treatment would be
given, there are a number of minor problems which seem very possible to adjust by
discussion, with subsequent great improvement in physical health. It is for this
reason that some clinical examinations take rather a long time, and that I do not
think the numbers we are having at present could be increased with benefit to the
patients.
(b) Gyncecological clinic.
During the year 96 sessions were held, 327 new cases attended the clinic and the
total attendances were 1,035. 244 cases were referred to the gynaecological clinic by
the physician at the medical clinic.
The age distribution of the patients is shown in the following table:—

The youngest patient was aged 20 years, and the oldest 54 years. The mean
age of these 327 patients was 26.2 years.