Red Blood Cell Diameters

This is the time for the G.P. to speak to his specialist colleague as a colleague and as an equal. Surely the field of midwifery is big enough to give scope to all who are interested. If there is any point in the specialist obstetrician's attending the perfectly normal confinement, the only reason for his attendance being the private fee, then surely it is proper for the G.P. to :attend the patient he has known and is respected by, and by whom he is looked to as a counsellor and friend. If the woman in labour is given solace by his presence, surely that in itself is very much in his favour. The sneer that the woman feels safer when her doctor is present can hardly be taken seriously. We would imagine that the presence of the practitioner capable of dealing with an emergency, if it arises, is something to be desired. Or are we now coming to the stage that, when Lady So-and-So, capable of paying a very fat private fee, applies to Mr. So-and-So, he will inform her, "You will be quite safe with the district midwife " ? No, Sir, the G.P. has a very definite place in midwifery, and it is for him and any professional association that he belongs to to fight to maintain that place. If Professor Young is really interested in continuity of services, then surely he could not have failed to see that the simplest answer is that the G.P. shall be entitled to demand, as of right, an afternoon at the' local antenatal clinic; that he shall continue to do midwives' emergencies as hitherto; and, to make the link-up complete, he should be allowed a case or two under his own care at the local hospital. Who can suggest that this would not be a much more practical and satisfactory_ arrangement ? Continuity would thus be complete between midwives, doctor, resident, and visiting staff. It seems farcical to ask the wholly inexperienced clinic M.O. to do obstetric emergencies, and at the same time decry the G.P. with many years of practical obstetric experience. The field is surely big enough for all, and who will benefit from the process of oustintg one's neighbour ?-We are, etc., M. CHALK.