This third edition of the Beecham Manual has its origins in a manual produced by Selwyn Carson for his general practice in Christchurch, New Zealand. He produced loose-leaf sets of instructions for his practice team and colleagues. Beecham Research Laboratories of New Zealand did a great service for the medical profession by publishing and distributing Dr Carson's manual there. The British version of the Beecham Manual had different objectives. The vocational training programme needed basic resources and the British Manual was created as an easy to read reference book on common prob- lems and...

As 'seasoned campaigners' we offer our readers more than 60 joint practice years of commonsense experience on children and their prob- lems. Child care is a large and fascinating part of general family practice. More than any other discipline it is a mix of understanding the wide range of normal and abnormal development, of skilful diagnosis and treatment of treatable conditions, of long-term care for handicapped children, and of organizing and carrying out prevention. F or all this and more the physician has to rely on sound knowledge and understanding of the child, parents, family, social...

One of the few real and lasting benefits of international medical meetings is the opportunity to meet, talk, gossip and get to know colleagues from other countries. So it was that we met, talked and planned at WONCA (World Organization of National Colleges and Academies and Academic Associa- tions of General Practitioners/Family Physicians) meetings at Montreux and New Orleans. We realized that although we worked in different places and in different practices 'primary health care' was essentially the same the world over. Our roles, our problems, our clinical content, our challenges and...