928
.
working together, and evaluation of the process of our work must usually wait for the establishment of good working relations. In an attempt to identify the important factors in fostering cooperation between social workers and general practitioners, the committee members of the Workshop have begun an inquiry, the result of which it is hoped to present to the annual general meeting of the Workshop in Manchester in March, 1976. I. C. GILCHRIST Darbishire House Health Centre, Brook Street, Manchester M13 0FW.
Upper
Histiocyte showing phagocytised red cells, neutrophils, and platelets.
tively participates in the reticuloendothelial proliferation classically described in Peyer’s patches and the spleen in typhoid fever and that this reaction may be used to substantiate the diagnosis of these seriously ill patients. Department of Pediatrics, Ohio Valley Hospital, Steubenville, Ohio 43952, U.S.A.
ENRIQUE G. MACIAS
AMOXYCILLIN IN TYPHOID FEVER p.
SIR,-We were delighted to see an excellent paper (Aug. 23, 333) on the use of amoxycillin in typhoid fever. We have
successfully treated 7 cases of enteric fever;’ and we lately found that amoxycillin, because of its rapid appearance in high concentration in the urine, is extremely useful in the treatment of chronic urinary salmonella carriers.2 250 mg twice daily is adequate to sterilise the urine.
CARE OF THE PRE-SCHOOL HANDICAPPED S)R,—I was particularly interested to read Dr Mary Sheridan’s letter (Sept. 27, p. 603) supporting a nurse-therapist-teacher trained for work with handicapped children of pre-school age. I have been forced to experience these combinations some years ago when I was the only, professionally qualified person treating cerebral-palsied children in a clinic in Africa. Subsequently, in the many years in whichI have trained physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists in the treatment of cerebral palsy, I have led them towards the role of the cerebral palsy therapist or generic therapist for motor-handicapped children. This postgraduate training was directed in Britain, Europe, and Canada, where many of my students welcomed the idea of a combined therapist. Nevertheless, there are many problems in working and in training a generic therapist and even more in training a nurseteacher-therapist. However, these problems should not appear insoluble, and I hope that they will not deter support for a careful investigation into such training. Dr Sheridan has outlined the many advantages to the child and his family. 11 Holmbush Road,
Putney, London SW15
This research forms part of research project no. MPN03. 12-5022 of the Naval Medical Research and Development Command, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C. U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit no. 3, and Abbassia Fever Hospital, Ministry of Health,
Cairo, Egypt.
Z. FARID W. F. MINER A. HASSAN
BERNARD MARKS EILEEN INESON GED KEELE
SOPHIE LFVITT
MATERNAL HAIR-ROOTS IN PREDICTION OF LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT RISK
SIR,-Low birth-weight is associated with high infant-morBecause improvements in nutritional and health during pregnancy can decrease the risk of low birthweight, a good predictor of the risk of low birth-weight is a useful public-health tool to select the mothers who can benefit
tality
rates.
status
SOCIAL WORKERS AND FAMILY DOCTORS
welcome news to read your editorial (Oct. 25, SIR,-It about the p. 805) meeting of psychiatrists, social workers, and general practitioners. From out experience of social-worker and general-practitioner cooperation, we believe that there is now the beginning of professional cooperation in many areas of Britain. Most of the new attachment and liaison schemes exist in ordinary service situations, unlike some of the earlier experiments by enthusiastically committed doctors and social workers. Last March, at a meeting of general practitioners and social workers on the theme of "care or cure: the management of mental illness in the community", there was an obvious desire for the two professions to meet and explore common interests; and the General Practitioner and Social Worker Workshop was founded. While we agree with your suggestion that multidisciplinary work at the primary health-care level requires painstaking inquiry and evaluation, we feel that in most cases it is too early to consider this, although it must surely come. At present we do not know enough about the mechanics of was
1 2.
Farid, Z., Sippel, J. E., Hassan, A., Trabolsi, B. Lancet, 1974, i, 350 Farid, Z., Bassily, S., Mikhail, I. A., Edman, D. C , Hassan, A., Miner, W E. J infect Dis. (in the press)
from nutritional intervention. For several years we have studied a variety of characteristics of mothers who produce low-birth-weight babies (i.e., full term and
.
working together, and evaluation of the process of our work must usually wait for the establishment of good working relations. In an attempt to identify the important factors in fostering cooperation between social workers and general practitioners, the committee members of the Workshop have begun an inquiry, the result of which it is hoped to present to the annual general meeting of the Workshop in Manchester in March, 1976. I. C. GILCHRIST Darbishire House Health Centre, Brook Street, Manchester M13 0FW.
Upper
Histiocyte showing phagocytised red cells, neutrophils, and platelets.
tively participates in the reticuloendothelial proliferation classically described in Peyer’s patches and the spleen in typhoid fever and that this reaction may be used to substantiate the diagnosis of these seriously ill patients. Department of Pediatrics, Ohio Valley Hospital, Steubenville, Ohio 43952, U.S.A.
ENRIQUE G. MACIAS
AMOXYCILLIN IN TYPHOID FEVER p.
SIR,-We were delighted to see an excellent paper (Aug. 23, 333) on the use of amoxycillin in typhoid fever. We have
successfully treated 7 cases of enteric fever;’ and we lately found that amoxycillin, because of its rapid appearance in high concentration in the urine, is extremely useful in the treatment of chronic urinary salmonella carriers.2 250 mg twice daily is adequate to sterilise the urine.
CARE OF THE PRE-SCHOOL HANDICAPPED S)R,—I was particularly interested to read Dr Mary Sheridan’s letter (Sept. 27, p. 603) supporting a nurse-therapist-teacher trained for work with handicapped children of pre-school age. I have been forced to experience these combinations some years ago when I was the only, professionally qualified person treating cerebral-palsied children in a clinic in Africa. Subsequently, in the many years in whichI have trained physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists in the treatment of cerebral palsy, I have led them towards the role of the cerebral palsy therapist or generic therapist for motor-handicapped children. This postgraduate training was directed in Britain, Europe, and Canada, where many of my students welcomed the idea of a combined therapist. Nevertheless, there are many problems in working and in training a generic therapist and even more in training a nurseteacher-therapist. However, these problems should not appear insoluble, and I hope that they will not deter support for a careful investigation into such training. Dr Sheridan has outlined the many advantages to the child and his family. 11 Holmbush Road,
Putney, London SW15
This research forms part of research project no. MPN03. 12-5022 of the Naval Medical Research and Development Command, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C. U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit no. 3, and Abbassia Fever Hospital, Ministry of Health,
Cairo, Egypt.
Z. FARID W. F. MINER A. HASSAN
BERNARD MARKS EILEEN INESON GED KEELE
SOPHIE LFVITT
MATERNAL HAIR-ROOTS IN PREDICTION OF LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT RISK
SIR,-Low birth-weight is associated with high infant-morBecause improvements in nutritional and health during pregnancy can decrease the risk of low birthweight, a good predictor of the risk of low birth-weight is a useful public-health tool to select the mothers who can benefit
tality
rates.
status
SOCIAL WORKERS AND FAMILY DOCTORS
welcome news to read your editorial (Oct. 25, SIR,-It about the p. 805) meeting of psychiatrists, social workers, and general practitioners. From out experience of social-worker and general-practitioner cooperation, we believe that there is now the beginning of professional cooperation in many areas of Britain. Most of the new attachment and liaison schemes exist in ordinary service situations, unlike some of the earlier experiments by enthusiastically committed doctors and social workers. Last March, at a meeting of general practitioners and social workers on the theme of "care or cure: the management of mental illness in the community", there was an obvious desire for the two professions to meet and explore common interests; and the General Practitioner and Social Worker Workshop was founded. While we agree with your suggestion that multidisciplinary work at the primary health-care level requires painstaking inquiry and evaluation, we feel that in most cases it is too early to consider this, although it must surely come. At present we do not know enough about the mechanics of was
1 2.
Farid, Z., Sippel, J. E., Hassan, A., Trabolsi, B. Lancet, 1974, i, 350 Farid, Z., Bassily, S., Mikhail, I. A., Edman, D. C , Hassan, A., Miner, W E. J infect Dis. (in the press)
from nutritional intervention. For several years we have studied a variety of characteristics of mothers who produce low-birth-weight babies (i.e., full term and
