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mental institution as a voluntary patient. The clinic speedily
began to serve a useful purpose in dealing with behaviour
problems in children.
I am glad to be able to include a report on the activities
of the clinic.
Report on the West Ham Nerve Clinic.
By George Somerville, m.d., d.p.h.
During the year ended 31st December, 1937, 70 new cases
were treated at the West Ham Nerve Clinic. The majority of
these were sent for diagnosis and disposal. A limited number
were treated psychologically at the clinic. The number of
psychological interviews which were held was 354. Two cases
were treated by the analytical technique. In one case the treatment
extended over a period of more than forty-eight hours, and
in the other cases of thirty-two hours. Good results were obtained
in both these cases.
Up to the present the clinic has been held on Wednesday
and Saturday mornings at 11 o'clock, but, from now on, the times
have been changed to 3 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, as it
has been found that the other times were inconvenient to a great
number of patients. In future, we will therefore be able to spend
more time with the patients. This will be of great advantage, as
the work of the clinic is steadily increasing. We hope during the
next year to improve the amenities of the clinic and to extend the
services.
We have to thank the doctors of West Ham and the staffs
of the Public Health Department and welfare centres for their
co-operation. We think that on the whole our most useful work
has been done in consultation with general practitioners, who
refer to us cases of early mental disorder for diagnosis and
suggestions for treatment. In all such cases, a report has been
sent to the doctor and, where advisable, the patient has been
encouraged to go into the mental hospital on a voluntary basis,
or else he has been referred to the observation ward at Whipps
Cross Hospital.
Twenty-three cases in all came to the Mental Hospital after
visiting the clinic, 18 coming in directly from the clinic as voluntary
patients. In 3 cases of definite mental disorder the patients
or their relatives refused the advice given, but in each of these
cases very full letters of advice were sent to the doctors concerned,
with suggestions for management in the home.
355