Naidu, Claudian

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80 S.A. TYDSKRIF VIR OBSTETRIE EN GINEKOLOGIE 5 September 1964pressures: 87·3 ± 17·8 and 86·9 ± 15·9 mm. Hg respectively.Similarly, among the Malay group there was no significantdifference between the mean diastolic blood pressures of themothers of the toxaemic and non-toxaemic patients: 94·6 ±25·7 and 93·0± 15·7 mm.Hg respectively (p>0·1). So in neithergroup was there any association between the mothers' bloodpressure and the development of toxaemia in their pregnantdaughters.Thus, as far as these two groups of women are concerned,clear-cut negative answers have been given to the two questionswhich were originally put to us. A great deal of additionalinformation was collected in the course of this investigation.Some of this has been analysed and the results are summarizedbelow:ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONThe Blood Pressure in the two Groups of MothersIn an attempt to explain the higher mean diastolic pressureof the Malay mothers, the blood-pressure levels were corre-lated with age, weight and parity.Age. In both the White and Malay groups there was a fairlyclose correlation between diastolic blood pressure and age.For the Whites, the correlation coefficient, r=0-40 (p<-001);for the Malays, r=0-43 (p<·001). However, the mean ages ofthe 2 groups were not significantly different: there were 91living White mothers with a mean age of 49·1 ± 7·5 years andthere were 87 living Malay mothers with a mean age of 48·2± 7·9 years (p>IO). The difference in the blood pressure wastherefore not due to a difference in the ages of the 2 groupsof women.Weight. There was no significaut correlation between weightand diastolic blood pressure in either group. For the Whites,r=-·08 (p>lO); for the Malays, r=·18 (p>10). There wasno significant difference in the mean weights of the 2 groups:Whites 147·5 ± 28·0 lb.; Malays 142·6 ± 33·0 lb. (p>·1O).Parity. The parity of the Malay mothers (8·0 ± 3·8) wassignificantly greater than that of the Whites (44 ± 2·6; p<·001). At first sight this may be a factor associated with thehigher blood-pressure level in the Malay mothers. Furtheranalysis, however, tends to minimize the importance of thisassociation because in neither group was there any significantcorrelation between parity and diastolic blood pressure (in bothgroups, r=·02; p>·IO).The Birth Weights of the BabiesTwo sets of twins and a pair of conjoined twins were bornto the White patients. The mean birth weight of the 97 singleWhite babies was 7·3 ± 1·3 lb. There were no twins born tothe Malay patients. The mean birth weight of the lOO Malaybabies was 6·5 ± 0·9 lb. The difference was significant (p<·001), but further investigation will be necessary before thisdifference can be attributed to predominantly genetic or topredominantly environmental influences.We are grateful for the cooperation of the late ProL J. T. LOBW andDr. Isobel Roberrson who gave us access to patients attending the ante-natal clinics under their supervision. We are also grateful to the staff ofthese clinics and to the nurses of the maternity homes for their help. MissE. Welsh was responsible for most of the clerical work and Miss E.Sophangisa assisted greatly with the statistical analyses. The study wassupported by research grant HE-Q6267 of the National Instirutes of Healthof the Public Health Service of the United States of America.PASSING EVENTS : IN DIE VERBYGAANGraduates Association, Medical School, Johannesburg, as soonas possible.Dr. A. M. Porter, obstetrician and gynaecologist, of Johannes-burg, has a new telephone number for his consulting rooms-724-2811.University of Cape Town and Association of Surgeons ofSOUlll Africa (M.A.S.A.), Joint Meetings. The next lecture inthis series will be given on Wednesday 9 September at 5.30 p.m.in the E-floor Lecture Theatre, Groote Schuur Hospital,Observatory, Cape. Dr. C. E. Bloch will speak on 'Duplica-tion of the alimentary tract'.* * *Dr. L. Schamrorh, of Baragwanath Hospital, has left forPrague to read a paper at the 4th European Congress ofCardiology. He will also deliver lectures at Stuttgart, Amster-dam and Edinburgh and in London at the National HeartHospital, Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith, and theRoyal Free Hospital. Dr. Schamroth will return towards theend of October.*******The College of General Pracririoners. An Upjohn TravellingLecture Course will be held at the Provincial Hospital, MosselBay, on Saturday afternoon, 19 September and Sunday morn-ing, 20 September 1964. The lecturers will be Prof. Len Ealesand Dr. W. M. Roberts, surgeon, from Cape Town, and Dr.Pierre du Toit, gynaecologist, from Port Elizabeth. All doctorsare welcome to attend. Further particulars may be obtainedfrom the Secretary, College of General Practitioners, P.O. Box643, Cape Town (Telephone 3-2022, mornings), or from Dr.J. C. Walsh, Knysna.Universiteit van Stellenbosch en Karl Bremer-hospitaal, Kli-nies-patologiese Besprekings. Die volgende vergadering inhierdie reeks word gehou op Dinsdagmiddag 8 September om4.30 nm. in Lesingkamer I, Farmakologiegebou, Karl Bremer-hospitaal, Bellville. Dr. M. A. de Kock sal as spreker optreeoor ,Pulrnonere struktuur-funksie'. Alle dok..1ers wat belangstel, word uitgenooi om hierdie vergadering by te woon.* * *Availability of Desferrioxamine. Ciba (Pty.) Ltd. announcethat Desferal is now available from all the hospitals listed onp. 464 of the Journal of 4 July 1964.* * *Dr. J. A. van Heerden, of Groote Schuur Hospital, CapeTown, is leaving in September for the USA where he willtake up a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester. Dr. vanHeerden will be away for 4 years.* * *University of the Witwatersrand Medical Graduates Asso-ciation. The Annual Golf Tournament will be held at theGlendower Golf Club, Johannesburg, on Sunday 18 October,commencing at noon. Players may arrange their own four-balls if they wish, or games can be arranged for them. Theentrance fee will be R2 per person. Entries, stating handicaps,and entrance fees should be sent to the Secretary, MedicalSouth African Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg,Staff Scientific Meeting. The next meeting will be held onMonday 21 September at 5.10 p.m. in the Institute LectureTheatre. Dr. A. R. P. Walker will speak on 'The causation ofsenile osteoporosis with particular reference to the role ofcalcium intake'. All interested persons will be welcome.* * *BOOK REVIEWEMBRYOLOGYA Textbook of Human Embryology. 2nd ed. By R. G. Harri-son, M.A., D.M. Pp. xi + 248. Illustrated. R4.75. Oxford:Blackwell Scientific Publications. 1963.This textbook of embryology has a somewhat unusualapproach to the subject The early chapters, occupying aboutone-quarter of the text, give a full account of the male andfemale reproductive systems, and of the pituitary and supra-renal glands, matters that belong to the subject of reproduc-tion. These subjects are usually discussed in textbooks ofanatomy and physiology, but are perhaps rightly regarded byBOEKBESPREKINGthe author as pertaining to embryology. In the introduction,Professor Harrison emphasizes the steroid nature of manyorganisms and suggests a biochemical affinity between embryo-logical processes and tumour formation.As a matter of slight criticism, some of the transverse 15ec-tio!1s of the embryo (e.g. Figs. 59, 62) are not clearly printed,right and left sides not being easily distinguishable, and thechapter on the urogenital system would be improved byhaving a few more diagrammatic figures to illustrate the text.A comparison with the 1st edition reveals practically nochanges, and a 2nd edition within four years shows that thebook has proved popular with students. JA.K.

Book review: Embryology

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Book review: Embryology

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