Asymptomatic urethral gonorrhoea in men.

survey, which may invalidate estimates. These elements include ignorance by the doctor of the syndrome, repugnance which may prevent acceptance of the possibility that a parent could kill a child, avoidance of confrontation by ascribing death to an associated existing clinical entity, the gulf between strong suspicion and proof, and, in a particular case, the overriding need to protect confidentiality and to safeguard a doctorpatient relation in the interest of the remaining members of the family. That the patients should be well known to the investigator is probably responsible for the confidence of the Tunbridge Wells Study Group' in Hall's figures, which gave rise to the national projection of 700 deaths from child battering. Support comes from two further investigations. Oliver2 gave a national figure of 300 deaths per year-this presumably in a group which was known well to him. The Winnipeg' investigation, which explored the number of children identified at a hospital as battered, showed that what was a figure of three deaths in 1957 rose to 18 in 1964, when investigators were themselves knowledgeable about the syndrome, but had risen to 34 in 1971, when others were also informed about the syndrome. Thus Oliver's figures could easily arise to 600 should others be as knowledgeable of the syndrome as the investigators themselves. Discussion on statistics, however, could easily confuse the main issue. Whether it is 80 or 800 children a year who die from child battering, too many die.-I am, etc.,