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MEDICAL STATISTICS

In January and April, if sufficient applications are

received, the department of medical statistics of theLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine offers ashort course, occupying two days a week for three months,in the principles of medical statistics and statisticalmethods. Application should be made not less thanone month before the course is due to begin to theRegistrar, London School of Hygiene and TropicalMedicine, Keppel Street (Gower Street), London, W.C.I.

FITNESS IN INDUSTRY ,

At Roffey Park Rehabilitation Centre courses lastingone and two weeks are held for doctors, works managers,trade-union officials, and social workers. The syllabus isdivided broadly under two headings : (1) maintainingfitness at work, and (2) rehabilitation and resettlement.Classes are modelled on the lines of the open discussiongroup. Inquiries should be, addressed to the Secretary,Training Department, Roffey Park, Horsham, Sussex.

THE MEDICAL WOMEN’S FEDERATION

ALL qualified medical women are eligible as membersof the Medical Women’s Federation, which has activelocal associations all over the country and in NorthernIreland, as well as a large London association and anoverseas association linking up members all over theworld. The federation is non-political. It providesmedical meetings for its members and publishes a

quarterly journal reviewing subjects of special interestto women doctors. These naturally cover a wide tractof social medicine, including maternity and child welfare,women in industry, the care of children and of difficultand delinquent children, the management of nurseryschools and day-nurseries, women in prisons, children inapproved schools and remand homes, the illegitimate-child, and many related subjects. Advances in obstetricsand gynaecology, and psychological studies of women andchildren are also naturally of special interest to womendoctors ; and recent work in these branches of medicineis reviewed in the journal. From time to time thefederation undertakes social studies and publishes theresults. It is also able to protect the interests of itsmembers by presenting arguments in any cases wherethere has been discrimination against women doctors.

BRITISH MEDICAL STUDENTS’ ASSOClATION

THIs association was founded in 1941, and now withthe exception of three London hospitals it includes inits membership students from all the schools in England,Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Eire.The association is a purely professional body, with the

sole object of providing machinery at the national levelto promote the interests of medical students. It providesa method of communication between medical students onthe one hand and, for example, British and foreignstudents of other faculties, the British Medical Association,and Government departments on the other.The association has representatives expressing the

students’ point of view as members of many committees.It publishes its own journal; and it has issued a catalogueof medical films.But perhaps the most valuable aspect of its work is

to be found in the clinical conferences which it has madepossible. Three have already been held this year, atSheffield, Edinburgh, and Leeds; and have given studentsan opportunity to meet other students, to see otherhospitals, and to hear other teachers: ’Expenditure last year was in excess of income; and unless

the income can be increased it will be necessary to restrictactivities. The rate of subscription from student membershas been increased, but it is estimated that it will beimpossible to raise the whole of the sum needed in this way.At the last annual general meeting it was decided to

create a new category of membership for qualified men,who would be invited to make a donation to the asso-ciation and who would receive a copy of the journal.Any readers who feel that the work is of value are there-

fore asked to encourage the association by becomingassociate members. The president is Mr. Denis R. Cook,and the office is at B.M.A. House, Tavistock Square,London, W.C.1.

In England NowA Running Commentary by Peripatetic CorrespondentsAs a student I was wise enough never to lose touch

with my general interests. Mark you, not every examinershared my balanced view ; some had a narrow partisanattitude to their subjects-an attitude that I and theGoodenough Committee deplore - so there were occasionalmisunderstandings. But I never regret my ten years asa student. In my time I picked up several useful tips,which I’ll pass on for what they’re worth. First of all,there should be no compunction about getting a friendto sign you up for lectures ; any professor who countsan hour listening to him as an hour’s study is just askingfor it. Never go to afternoon lectures ; if you’ve had adecent lunch you’ll sleep, and if you haven’t you’ll bein no trim to listen. Just a word of warning here : alwaysget to know by sight the man who’s giving the lectures.Towards the end of the summer term of my ninth yearI foolishly decided to look in at a forensic-medicinelecture ; I stopped a white-coated lab. assistant to askthe way, which he told me-very civilly, I must say.I sat down in the front row (there’s another useful hint-one attendance with an earnest look in the front rowis worth three further back) and I waited. Then the lab.man, who, it seemed, was the professor, came in andstarted lecturing ; so all that hour I looked kind ofnaturally earnest. But it was O.K.; I’d read up the rightthree chapters in the great man’s book, and when theexam. came he raised no objection to my passing on tothe final year. To the finals candidate I would say this :when you’re given a case to take, get to know the patient ;go right up to him and say in an easy, friendly way :" Now, old chap, the first thing I want you to tell me isyour diagnosis." Very often he does, and then you cando the rest bv induction. As to the written exam.—

always be careful about your speling ; I never had anytrouble with mine, but I knew lots of poor blighters thatdid. Then, examiners invariably appreciate the capacityof a potential medical graduate to construct his sentenceswith a facile lucidity reflecting the optimum whichcan be made available from his educational facilities.Finally, examiners like a straight answer ; if you don’tknow, say so and retire; it’s no use throwing the ball backat them, as I once did : " well, what do you think, sir ? "I was given six months to look up the answer for myself.. hope these few hints will help ; and I guaranteethat anyone acting on them will have no more troublethan I did.

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I’m not going to write about tattoos. I might justas well start to cram all about hearts into one peripateticcolumn. The subject merits nothing less than an entirespecial number of THE LANCET, with articles on TheHistopathology of Tattooing, The Psychology of theTattooed, Tattoos and Social Medicine, and so forth. Imerely want to submit an interesting case-more inter-esting, I think, than the not uncommon row of blue dotsacross the root of the neck with " Cut Along The DottedLine" above them : certainly more so than the quitefrequent " I Love Mary " altered to an indelible declara-tion of affection for Katie. This tattoo was a hunt infull cry. The scene began at the umbilicus with a lineof pink-coated horsemen galloping towards the rightshoulder-all executed with a skilful impression of thedash and vigour of the chase. The meet continued on tothe back, the hounds having got ahead as far as the spineof the scapula. The pack filled the remaining space asfar as the buttocks, where the fQx’s brush could be seendisappearing into the anus. The tableau was labelled,sure enough,

" Gone to Earth."* * *

A wet Sunday afternoon is one of Nature’s treats forhard-working doctors, and it’s worth waiting for. It’sstrange, though perhaps natural, that few seem to daredisturb their doctor during those sacred sabbath hourstwixt dinner and tea. Maybe all save the nearly moribundare replete and drowsy after their weekly roast or itspost-war equivalent if such exists. Maybe they feelthat a doctor is out of place on a Sunday: he disturbsthe peace and would certainly upset the digestion.,Whatever the cause, apart from fractures, fits, andsudden death, Sunday afternoon is comparatively calm.