1159 may I say that female circumcision there is practised not only because it is the custom, but because mothers and girls say they are ashamed for the clitoris to be visible to the members of the family when bathing mission. Dr. Blacker, in the paper alluded to, envisaging in the river or when naked in the house. Even after ’the time when accurate records will be available of a woman has been married, if the labia hypertrophy the heredities of all permanent residents in the she will not rest until something has been done to United Kingdom, refers to advisory centres analogous remove the offending skin. Among the pagan to the German " marriage advice bureaux," which it natives the circumcision is done either by an old
greater usefulness than much with over 80,000 natives, and a province of 17,000 square miles gave me opportunities for seeing all And in order to interest the medical profession in phases of native life. I have a great deal of sympathy -the problems of human heredity he suggests the with them in their methods of life, and I found that formation of a section of the Royal Society of having been shown a way which meant health for Medicine whose subject would be human genetics. them and their children, they were always ready to I have not yet seen any thorough account of the listen to my advice. As far as Nigeria goes I have never seen any ill-working of the German marriage-advice bureaux. If not already undertaken, the subject seems worthy effects of female circumcision. of study and report by a properly qualified British I am, Sir, yours faithfully, observer. According to a recent articleby Prof. J. R. C. STEPHENS. 1931 St. Austell. Cornwall, Nov. 15th, 1931. .J. Wagner-Jauregg, of Vienna, there are many more than 100 of these Eheberatungs stellen " in Germany, - and there is one in Vienna. But it seems that only HUGHLINGS JACKSON FUND. a few take advantage of them, and the number so To the Editor of THE LANCET. - -doing has scarcely increased although the bureaux have been open some years. The above is my note SiR,-May I correct an error in my letter which at the time of reading the article, but, although you published last weeks‘ The name of the artist unnoted, I feel sure I am correct in adding that who is designing the memorial medal should have Prof. Wagner-Jauregg makes a further statement, been given as Mr. Percy Metcalfe. At the same time to the effect that the persons mainly seeking advice may I express the hope that any of your readers who belong to the more conscientious, rather over- may wish to subscribe to the memorial to Hughlings scrupulous kind, the kind whose marriage is desirable, Jackson should send their subscriptions to me as but who are apt to take too seriously reservations and soon as possible, as it is intended to close the list in - criticisms made by the expert whom they are consult- the near future.-I am, Sir, yours faithfully, - ing, on the basis of their information, and to abstain WILFRED HARRIS. "from marriage. Nevertheless, I believe that a 56, Wirnpole-street, W., Nov. 16th, 193: ’demand for these advice bureaux will gradually arise - with the spread of education. It is certain that no such centres can function until MEASLES ALMOST WHOLLY UNPREVENTABLE. there are properly trained experts available to take To the Editor of THE LANCET. charge of them. Such training cannot be given SiR,-In your annotation on Nov. 7th you express except on the basis of knowledge which has accrued that the Times should be able to tell its surprise from carefully kept, adequate records of personal readers that measles " remains almost wholly unpreand family disease and defect, extending over several ventable." I think that most medical officers of generations. health controlling populous areas would agree that I am, Sir, yours faithfully, under the present circumstances practically all EDWIN GOODALL. Hove, Nov. 7th, 1931. elementary school-children are infected by measles or are immune from measles after an epidemic has occurred in the school which they attend, also that FEMALE CIRCUMCISION. started on its course the measles epidemic once THE LANCET. To the Editor prove to have a considerably that is now taught."
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of spreads to all schools not recently infected; even SIR,-Dr. Sequeira’s paper (Nov. 7th, p. 1054) Dr. S. P. Bedson, because he recognises that it should be noted by all who are interested in the is wholly unpreventable sooner or later, prefers a
welfare of the natives of Africa. He has reviewed the subject in full, and this should be of value to the many persons in this and other countries who have .imbibed strange ideas about native customs. As one who has practised in Nigeria for many years, and ’, who has seen the natives under all circumstances,
I,
1 Ueber Eugenik, Wien. klin. Woch., Jan. 2nd, 1931.
modified attack to prevention in robust children over two years of age, surely then, the Times is justified in its statement. I was indeed pleased to read the article in the Times as, far from taking a pessimistic view, many doctors and parents hold the quite mistaken belief that by the exclusion of home contacts the spread