Hodgkin’s disease was first described by Thomas Hodgkin, a pathologist at Guy’s Hospital, London, in the early 19th Century

It has been regarded as a malignancy, or cancer, affecting the lymph nodes.

Lymphoid tissues are scattered throughout the body, usually in localised collections such as the tonsils, the adenoids, the spleen, in the wall of the small bowel, and in the lymph nodes or glands in the neck, under the arm and in the groin.

This tissue is concerned with the body’s defence against infection and foreign tissue introduced into the body.

It is part of the immune system and is full of lymphocytes, which are white blood cells — present in the blood and bone marrow and in these collections of lymphoid tissue.

The lymphocytes produce antibodies.

Hodgkin’s disease is now regarded as perhaps two or three different but related disorders.

It occurs more commonly in males than in females. And although it may occur at any age, there are three peaks where it’s more common — in middle childhood, young adulthood and in old age.

*425/71/1*

Pregnancy, labor and delivery are usually normal and uncomplicated.

One of the prices we pay for medical control is that pregnancy and childbirth can be thought of as an illness.

But it is only by close monitoring of the mother and the developing baby that complications can be prevented or recognised early and controlled.

A complication that appears to have arisen as part of our highly developed, over-fed civilisation is the condition of toxaemia of pregnancy, or preeclampsia.

The cause of this is unknown but it is rare in

underdeveloped countries and during war time when food is rationed.

In pre-eclampsia there is a generalised constriction of all the blood vessels of the body and a rise in the blood pressure. At least 15 per cent of women with their first pregnancies will develop some rise in blood pressure.

This can damage the kidneys, usually temporarily but occasionally permanently, and shows by the protein albumin leaking out in the urine. As well, sodium along with water is retained in the tissues and causes oedema or swelling.

*171/71/1*