Social Medicine Studies based on Civilian Medical Board Records: II. Physical and Occupational Characteristics of Men with Varicose Conditions

There were several reasons why it seemed appropriate to include in a study of the wartime records of Civilian Medical Boards a detailed analysis of varicose veins, varicocoeles, and haemorrhoids. These three types of abnormally distended veins are known to be common, but exactly how common they are and who is most likely to be affected are questions which have never been satisfactorily answered. Mild cases need no treatment, severe cases are notoriously resistant to treatment, and the death rate is negligible. It is, therefore, hopeless to expect either hospital records or national statistics of mortality to yield accurate estimates of prevalence. Short of a planned survey, what is required is a medical census of the population, with systematic recording of all clinical signs of venous incompetence. It is, therefore, particularly fortunate that, at a time when Civilian Medical Boards were examining a relatively broad crosssection of the community, the printed headings in the schedules included Varicose Veins, External Genitalia, and Piles.