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5. Sources from which patients were referred to the Clinic :
(a) Borough Council Maternity Home 46 cases.
(b) Municipal and Voluntary Clinics 83
(c) Practising Midwives 4 „
(d) Medical Men 4 „
(e) Health Visitors 40
(f) Rescue Home 6 „
(g) Patients who come themselves 1 „
Total number of cases registered from the
opening of the Clinic, October, 1921 to
December 31st, 1922 198
6. Medical Officers in Charge. Nurse,
Dr. Roxburgh, Consultant. Miss Baggallay.
Assistant Medical Officer
(Maternity & Child Welfare).
Dr. Roxburgh, Consultant to the Ante-Natal (V.D.) Clinic,
reports favourably on the progress so far made in this pioneer effort
by the Council, which he states is already distinctly encouraging.
In pointing out some of the difficulties associated with the work,
Dr. Roxburgh refers more especially to the need for a blood test
from every patient who comes for the first time to one of the Antenatal
clinics. The majority of the women with syphilis, he adds,
show no outward and visible sign of the disease during the first few
months after infection. Apart from blood tests the disease only
shows itself, in many cases, in the children; and even they may
show no obvious signs until they are from 7 to 12 years old or even
later. During 1922, for example, of 8 patients with syphilis who
were treated at the clinic, 7 were post-natal, as the disease was only
discovered at the birth of the child, and one patient was treated
during her pregnancy with the result that a healthy baby was born.
The further progress of this useful work will be watched with
much interest, and now that some of the initial difficulties have been
overcome the results should be of the highest value.
Borough Maternity Hospital.
The Borough Maternity Hospital, opened early in 1921.
is a fully-equipped modern hospital of 30 beds, and is situated at
Bolingbroke Grove, overlooking Wandsworth Common, one of the
healthiest parts of London. In addition to being a lying-in
hospital, it is a recognised training institution for pupil-midwives.
There is a district midwifery service run in connection with the
hospital, and there is an out-patient department used for the
Central Ante-Natal and Special Clinics.
There is a rota of local medical practitioners who are available
for attendance if called upon by the Matron in cases requiring
medical aid. The services of Dr. J. S. Fairbairn, Obstetric Physician,