Descriptive studies of a psychiatric hospital population

These studies were carried out in Park Prewett Hospital (1,400 beds) which serves most of northern Hampshire, a population of just over 300,000 people. Our aim was to describe in some detail the gross features of this hospital population. Three descriptive techniques were employed.

Positional information and pattern regulation in hydra: the formation of boundary regions following axial grafts

A two-gradient model is proposed for regulation and regeneration of the head end of hydra in terms of positional information. One gradient is set up by a diffusible substance made at the head end, which may be regarded as a positional signal, and the other is a more stable cellular parameter which is the positional value. The rule for head end formation is that the concentration of the diffusible substance falls a threshold amount below the positional value. A variety of instantaneous axial grafts have been carried out which are discussed in terms of this model. Some simple computer simulations of diffusion are provided. There is some evidence that the source of the positional signal is localized at the head end. Some experiments on changes in polarity are given. It also seems that the positional signal from the head end inhibits foot end formation.

Premature ejaculation treated by the dual sex team method of Masters and Johnson

The treatment of premature ejaculation has always carried a poor prognosis and recovery in an established case is uncommon.

In 1970, in their book “Human Sexual Inadequacy”, Masters and Johnson reported the treatment of 186 cases of premature ejaculation with only four failures. Their technique is based on the use of a dual sex team comprising a male and a female therapist who treat the “marital unit”, not just the dysfunctional male.

The present authors report initial success in the treatment of two premature ejaculators using a shortened version of the Masters and Johnson programme, requiring only seven treatment sessions.

One case is described in detail to indicate the disturbed interpersonal dynamics which may undarly the development of premature ejaculation and to illustrate the manner in which the treatment principles are applied in its management.

The success of the technique seems to derive from a reduction of anxiety in the coital situation and a strengthening of trust and confidence in the relationship between the marital partners.

Calcific tricuspid incompetence in childhood

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Use of FPA clinics in a London borough

A study of first attendances at FPA clinics in the defined population of a London Borough showed that the population served was not dissimilar by social class from an appropriate sample of the population of the Borough. Almost two-thirds of the women were prescribed the contraceptive pill at first visit, and the other third were almost equally divided between the diaphragm and the intra-uterine device as a contraceptive method. Use of the pill was inversely proportional to age, whereas the use of the cap and IUD increased with age at first attendance. Women prescribed the pill or IUD tended to continue with the method, whereas 11% of women who initially used the diaphragm changed over to the pill in approximately a 1-year follow-up period. A large proportion of women, 21%, attended the clinics only once, but this was shown to be due, for the most part, to factors which were outside the control of the clinic.

Functioning beta cell tumors (insulinomas) of the pancreas

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Atrioventricular conduction in acute rheumatic fever

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