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Notes and News

ABORTION STATISTICS

86,565 terminations of pregnancy were notified for

England and Wales in 1970.1 11% of women whose

pregnancies were terminated lived outside the BritishIsles, and this proportion included 3621 from Germany,2267 from France, and 1898 from the U.S.A. and Canada.1219 women had had an abortion previously, and 194 ofthese were under twenty years of age. In 13,946 casessterilisation and termination were done simultaneously, allbut 214 of these combined operations being done inN.H.S. hospitals. In 1969 the death-rate for the combinedoperation was 1-08 per 1000, compared with 0-13 per 1000for termination alone, and of the seventeen deaths recordedonly nine were certified to abortion. In 1970 the death-rateswere 0-10 per 1000 for termination alone and 0-57 per 1000for termination with sterilisation, but of the fourteendeaths all but three were ascribed to abortion.

FOOD SUPPLIES AFTER NUCLEAR WAR

A MAJOR problem facing any nation after a nuclear warwould be the supply of food. The proceedings 2 of asymposium held at Brookhaven National Laboratory,New York, in 1970 and sponsored by the Office of CivilDefense, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, and theDepartment of Agriculture, contains data collected fromresearch on the effects of fallout radiation on plants andanimals. These studies have been directed towards theprediction of the effects of large doses of radiation on mandirectly, and indirectly via detrimental effects on animals,food crops, and isotopes in the food chain. The food-supplysituation of the U.S.A. after nuclear war would be morefortunate than that of the U.K. In peacetime about 6% ofthe U.S. population produces not only enough food tofeed America but also vast quantities for export. Bycontrast the U.K. in peacetime imports 50% of its foodrequirements. Estimates of surviving populations dependon attack patterns and many other factors, but assessmentssuggest that 50-80% of the population of the U.K. wouldsurvive. A severe food shortage would exist in the U.K.for two to three years post-attack, assuming a survivingpopulation of 40 million (75%), and in the absence ofimports. If an attack occurred any time between the

early months of the year and the next harvest there wouldprobably be a severe deficiency of calories, mainly becauseof the inadequate quantities of grain which would beavailable owing to the destruction of imported food stocksand growing crops. Meat, potatoes, and other foodswould be unlikely to fill the gap. There would probably bea considerable but not disastrous reduction in the animalpopulation. The numbers of survivors could be appre-ciably increased if the animals could be put under cover.However, the contamination of meat and milk from sur-viving livestock would be a continuing problem. One tablegives values for strontium-90 contamination of milk aftera nuclear war. During the first few years after attack, directcontamination of plants with fallout would make thegreatest contribution to milk contamination. From oneyear to ten years post-war this direct contamination wouldfall from 1150 to 2 pCi strontium-90 per g. calcium.During the same period the proportion of milk contamina-

1. The Registrar General’s Statistical Review of England and Walesfor the Year 1970: supplement on abortion. H.M. StationeryOffice. 42p.

2. Survival of Food Crops and Livestock in the Event of Nuclear War.Edited by D. W. BENSEN, Office of Civil Defense, and A. H.SPARROW, Brookhaven National Laboratory. Obtainable fromNational Technical Information Service, U.S. Department ofCommerce, Springfield, Virginia 22151. 1971. Pp. 745. $9,

tion attributable to indirect contamination from the soilwould increase from 14% to 98%, and total contaminationof milk would fall from 1340 to 120 pCi strontium-90 per g.calcium. Sufficient pasture to support the surviving.livestock would probably be available, and it is assumedthat the pig population would be greatly reduced to

conserve cereals for human consumption. The yield of-crops standing in the field would probably be reduced byone-quarter to one-half of that expected, mainly because ofradiation damage. The final crop yield would probably beinsufficient to provide an adequate diet for the survivingpopulation.

University of LondonDr. D. L. Miller has been appointed to the chair of

social and preventive medicine tenable at the MiddlesexHospital Medical School.

Dr. Miller, who is 41, was educated at the University ofCambridge and St. Thomas’s Hospital, London, graduatingM.B. in 1956 and M.D. in 1965. After house-appointments he wasa medical officer in the R.A.F. medical branch and then enteredgeneral practice for a short period. He became resident assistantat the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and in 1962 joinedthe Public Health Laboratory Service. He spent 1965-66 onstudy leave as a resident fellow at Johns Hopkins UniversitySchool of Hygiene and Public Health. Since 1966 he has beenconsultant epidemiologist to the Central Public Health LaboratoryService and director of its Epidemiological Research Laboratory.

Prof. H. K. Weinbren has been appointed to the chair-of histopathology tenable at the Royal Postgraduate Medical,School.

Professor Weinbren, who is 48, graduated B.SC. from the-University of Witwatersrand in 1942, M.B. in 1946, and M.D. in.1957. After house-appointments in Johannesburg he was,.from 1940 to 1949, pathologist at the Springfield Hospital,Durban. He moved to England and became research fellow atthe Royal Postgraduate Medical School. In 1954 he was ap--pointed senior lecturer at the London Hospital Medical College,,and became reader in experimental pathology there in 1961.He was appointed reader in morbid anatomy at the Royal Post-graduate Medical School in 1963. Since 1968 he has been pro-fessor of pathology at the University of Nottingham MedicalSchool.

Dr. B. E. Ryman, reader in biochemistry at the RoyalFree Hospital School of Medicine, has been appointed tothe chair of biochemistry tenable at the Charing Cross-Hospital Medical School.

The title of professor of applied pharmacology has been.conferred on Dr. R. G. Spector in respect of his post atGuy’s Hospital Medical School.

Dr. Spector, who is 40, graduated M.B. from the University ofLeeds in 1956 and M.D. in 1962, and PH.D. from the Universityof London in 1964; he became M.R.C.PATH. in 1965. Afterhouse-appointments in Leeds and Enfield he became residentpathologist to Queen Charlotte’s Maternity Hospital, London.In 1961 he was appointed lecturer at Guy’s Hospital MedicalSchool, becoming senior lecturer in 1964, and reader in pharma-cology in 1967. Among his published work is the book TheNerve Cell, published in 1964.

The title of professor of virology has been conferred onDr. Harold Stern in respect of his post at St. George’sHospital Medical School.

Dr. Stern, who is 47, graduated M.B. in 1946 and PH.D. in1954 from the University of Glasgow; he became M.R.C.PATH.in 1964. After house-appointments and a period ofservice in the R.A.M.C. he’ was postgraduate supernumeraryregistrar at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, and then M.R.C.scholar at the University of Glasgow. From 1953 to 1956 hewas lecturer in bacteriology at St. George’s Hospital MedicalSchool, and in 1960 he became senior lecturer in virology there.In 1957-58 he held a British Postgraduate Federation travellingfellowship in the United States. He became reader in virologyand consultant in virus diseases at St. George’s Hospital in 1965.

604

Dr. M. W. B. Bradbury has been appointed to thereadership in physiology tenable at King’s College, andDr. J. M. Faccini to the readership in pathology of oraldiseases tenable at University College Hospital MedicalSchool.

University of BirminghamDr. R. K. Griffiths and Dr. A. C. Riches have been

appointed lecturers in anatomy.

University of EdinburghProf. R. B. Fisher, head of the department of bio-

chemistry, has been appointed dean of the Faculty ofMedicine in succession to Prof. L. G. Whitby.

Committee on Hospital Medical and Dental Man-power

A new committee concerned with hospital medical anddental staffing, the Central Manpower Committee (Medicaland Dental), has been set up by the Department of Healthafter joint discussions between the health departmentsand representatives of the professions. Its function will beto advise the health departments for England and Waleson measures to implement the manpower policies for

development of hospital medical and dental staffing,agreed between the departments’ and the professions’representatives, aiming as far as possible at the setting ofnational and regional staffing targets. The Committee willbe concerned not only with senior posts (like the AdvisoryCommittee on Consultant Establishments which it willsupersede) but with all levels of hospital medical anddental staff. The chairman is Dr. Henry Yellowlees.

Institute of Cancer Research

Prof. P. K. Bondy, professor of medicine at Yale Uni-versity, has been appointed visiting Cancer ResearchCampaign professor and head of the newly created divisionof medicine at the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Insti-tute of Cancer Research.

British Committee for the Scientific Study of MentalDeficiencyAt a meeting on Feb. 15 it was agreed that the Committee

should be dissolved and its funds contributed to theInstitute for Research into Mental Retardation. It wasfelt that a new multidisciplinary association which allprofessional workers could join might be set up, andMr. James Elliott will undertake the preliminary organisa-tion of such an association. Those interested shouldwrite to him at the Hospital Centre, 24 Nutford Place,London W1H 6AN.

Royal Photographic Society of Great BritainThe Society’s medical group has awarded the Lancet

trophy for 1971 to Mr. R. S. Barnett, A.R.P.S., of theCharing Cross Hospital Medical School, for his colour andmonochrome illustrations in an article by Prof. W. St. C.Symmers (Br. med. J. 1970, ii, 763).

Society of Apothecaries of LondonOn March 7 the Society’s gold medal in therapeutics

for 1972 was awarded to Mr. Denis Burkitt for his workon African lymphoma.

The Joint Committee of the Hospital Chaplaincies Councilof the General Synod, under the chairmanship of the Bishop ofLichfield, has set up a working-party to review the ministry,training, and method of appointment of hospital chaplains.Comment is welcomed both from official organisations and fromindividuals; forms for submitting evidence may be had from theHospital Chaplaincies Council of the General Synod, ChurchHouse, Dean’s Yard, London SW1P 3NZ.

The title of emeritus doctor of medicine has been conferredon Prof. B. G. Maegraith, dean of the Liverpool School ofTropical Medicine, by the University of Athens.

An exhibition of work by physically handicapped artists isto be held at Dickins and Jones, Richmond, Surrey, from March20 to April 1, Monday to Thursday, 9 A.M. to 5.30 P.M. (Friday7 P.M., Saturday 6 P.M.).

CORRIGENDUM: Developmental Assessment.-We regret thatin the third sentence of Prof. R. S. Illingworth’s letter (March 4,p. 532) the word " why " was omitted. The sentence should havebegun: " One gains the impression that many have the urgeto assess every baby without knowing why they are doing it... "

Diary of the Week

MARCH 12 TO 18

Sunday, 12thMANCHESTER ROYAL INFIRMARY, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL

10 A.M. Dr. H. T. Howat: Carcinoma of the Pancreas.

Tuesday, 14thROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDON, 11 St. Andrew’s Place,

Regent’s Park, NW1 4LE5.35 P.M. Dr. J. S. Cameron: Bright’s Disease Today. (Goulstonian

lecture.)ROYAL POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL SCHOOL, Hammersmith Hospital,

London W.12 26 P.M. Dr. J. S. Inkester: Peediatric Anaesthesia.

INSTITUTE OF DERMATOLOGY, St. John’s Hospital for Diseases of theSkin, Lisle Street, London W.C.2

4.30 P.M. Dr. J. A. Dudgeon: Virus Diseases of the Stdn—n.MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH

8 P.M. (B.M.A. House.) Dr. C. Aitken, Dr. R. J. Daly: Stress inModern Environment.

Wednesday, 15thROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND, 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields,

London WC2A 3PN4 P.M. Prof. J. G. Robson: Science and Prescience in Anaesthesia

(Joseph Clover lecture.)INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH, 30 Guilford Street, London W.C.1

5.30 P.M. Dr. Joel J. Alpert (Harvard): Provision of PrimaryPxdiatric Care.

INSTITUTE OF DERMATOLOGY4.30 P.M. Dr. R. H. Meara: Dermatoses of Childhood.

INSTITUTE OF ORTHOPEDICS, 234 Great Portland Street, LondonWIN 6AD

11 A.M. Dr. H. A. Sissons: Non-neoplastic Lesions of the Spine-Pathology.

6 P.M. Dr. R. 0. Murray: Radiology of the Spine in General BoneDisorders and Diseases.

8.15 P.M. Dr. P. K. Thomas: Less Common Diseases of the SpinalCord.

INSTITUTE OF UROLOGY, 172 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W.C.25 P.M. Mr. Marmeet Singh: Surgery of the Urethra.

Thursday, 16thROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND

5 P.M. Mr. J. T. Holmes: Small Bowel Transplantation. (Arris andGale lecture.)

MATHILDA AND TERENCE KENNEDY INSTITUTE OF RHEUMATOLOGY, ButeGardens, Hammersmith, London W.6

5 P.M. Dr. H. J. Rogers: Bacterial Mucopolymers-Structure andFunctions.

MANCHESTER MEDICAL SOCIETY5 P.M. (Medical School.) Pcediatrics. Dr. Christopher Ounsted: The

Diagnosis and Development of Hyperkinetic and AutisticSyndromes of Childhood.

Friday, 17thROYAL POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL SCHOOL

11 A.M. Prof. A. G. Riddell: Liver Tumours.INSTITUTE OF LARYNGOLOGY AND OTOLOGY, 330/332 Gray’s Inn Road,

London WC1X 8EE5.30 P.M. Mr V. T. Hammond: The Surgical Management of Chronic

Suppurative Otitis Media.ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF EDINBURGH5 P.M. Prof. P. B. Beeson: Some Basic Questions Suggested by

Observations of Human Infections. (Sir James YoungSimpson lecture.)