We are the World Blogfest # 39: UK Medical Student creates handbook to show clinical symptoms on darker skin …

This youngster’s idea that skin types vary so much – yet medical reference books are usually written from a white skin perspective – with no mention as to the appearance on other skin types, he felt that aspect needed to be addressed.

… it reminds me of my #WATWB #30: Invisible Women … their female humanness is often not included in something designed by the other half of the population.

Malone Mukwende - junior doctor at
St George's Medical School, London

Here we have a medical student who sees skin colour as an important condition in deciphering what could be wrong with specific peoples – and which needs to be noted.

Young Malone Mukwende, a medical student at St George’s University of London (St George’s Hospital Medical School) working with two of his senior peers has put together this handbook – the hospital authorities are looking to publish it – making it generally available.

The First Edition
'A Handbook of Clinical Signs
in Black and Brown Skins'

It cannot but help trainee doctors, nurses, paramedics and medical experts become more aware of different skin types ... 

... and how conditions on black and  brown skins will vary – and not always present exactly as reacted and reported on a paler skin person … eg blue lips may not be a useful descriptor for a black patient.

The handbook is going to look at other ways that could help with communication skills with clinical language – so a more holistic approach can be taken.

This to me – sounds a much needed medical reference book … there are so many different skin types – in this country we are a very mixed bag having been peopled over millennia from around the globe … as many are finding out when they check their genealogy and DNA.

Fitzpatrick Scale

Brilliant – at least I think so! – Malone’s book deserves high recognition and massive publicity in the near future … which I’m sure it will get.

Congratulations to Malone Mukwende – looks like he’ll make an empathetic doctor as he passes his exams up the ranks in the medical profession … 

... I wonder how far he will go and where his speciality will be: a name to look out for.  He will make a great contribution to helping many ... #WATWB peoples.

We are the World Blogfest

In Darkness, Be Light

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez

‘Mind the Gap’ – St George’s Hospital’s: First Edition of A Handbook of Clinical Signs in Black and Brown Skin

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

London visits, pre lockdown, completely exhausted me … part 1 – the introduction …

One day in London town, five or six exhibits, a journey down memory lane …. by the end a whirring brain … worse a shattered body – my feeeeeetttttt, shinnie shin shins, hips – hips – hips – smoothly clickety click - they still work I’m pleased to say ….

Quizzical early me

You know … quizzy me … I suddenly thought I’d better get up to town and do, what I wanted to do … quick in and out visits with a strange mix of  7+  subjects …

5 Carlos Place - the fashion house

First: Antiquarian scientific illustrations, together with natural history prints and maps – in a fashion house;

Emily Young's sculpture 'Rudra' - a Rigvedic deity equated
to Lord Shiva, associated with wind, or storm and
the hunt - one of the statues found outside Tate Modern

Second: a visit to find Emily Young’s sculptured heads outside Tate Modern;

Third: into the Tate Modern for the first part of Steve McQueen’s work spanning film, photography and sculpture (12 Years a Slave);

part of 1841 "Map of Kensington"
The Hippodrome is lightly coloured;
the streets where I lived had followed
the contours of the race course

Fourth: up to Notting Hill for a nostalgic walk past my old flat, and …

Fifth: on to an art exhibition at the west of the Hippodrome – the race course that ultimately became north and west Notting Hill;

Poster for the film:' 12 Years a Slave'

Sixth: on to Tate Britain, where Steve McQueen has the second part of his exhibition about Year Three (aged 7/8) pupils in London;

Seventh: last but not least … to the Saatchi Gallery to see the Tutankhamun exhibition … I missed the 1972 one – long queues I seem to recollect which are just not my scene – thankfully nearly fifty years on I’m still here and it’s come back!

Brochure for the Tutankhamun exhibition

There’ll be a few of these … not sure how many – depends how carried away I get writing them … the history of the Hippodrome area could easily stretch to an A - Z …

I was completely exhausted ...

Well … this is a start of some postings – and should see us through to the end of August or perhaps even (probably) September.

It was a very long feet day … lots of walking … 9.30 morning train to Victoria arriving 11.00; 11.30 I get to the fashion house … at 4.30 was my timed entrance at the Saatchi Gallery – it closed at six.  Giving me time – just – to drag my aching body to Victoria and my 7.15 evening train home …

August's prompt 'Long Shadow'

The quizzing blogger had had her chips that day … was I glad to get home – the next day I don’t think I moved!

That will cover my next ‘few’ posts … ‘We Are the World Blogfest #WATWB’ will appear at month end, then the WEP challenge mid-August – with the prompt being … ‘Long Shadow’ …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Slowly does it … excuses, excuses!

It was Wimbledon time … and the Beeb had re-winds for the fortnight … it’s easier to watch the tournament – as one can watch bits and bobs …

Wimbledon from the air

… whereas re-winds are always interesting with some excellent tennis – some of which occurred when I was in South Africa for those 14/15 years, the years my mother was ill, and the Canada year …

I’ve been distracted!   Seafront stretching eastwards - viewed through perspex canopy ... 

Hollyhock

… so some pics … of flowers … and some pics – what more can I say … lock-down – or semi in my case as I do carefully get out and about a bit …

Double hollyhock

Also I’ve never been on a ‘big wheel’ … there’s one on the seafront …which I can now tick off my list … no queues, small payment and easy peasy up I go …

The Big Wheel company ...

Our big wheel came down from Manchester (280 miles = 450 km) – the truck is driven by female operator, saying she loves it … 

Roof of Bistrot Pierre, where I had my birthday
lunch back in January; the Redoubt - a 200 year old
defensive emplacement

... four trips with the bits, the guys I guess put it all together … (35 metres high = 115 feet) …

 

Seafront plantings

… and last but not least I wandered past Camilla’s the bookshop that some pyromaniac idiot set on fire … it’s open again …

… and managed to grab a quick photo of Archie – better go back at some stage and get one that’s in focus!!

Illustration by
Keulemans, 1891

I will now attempt to catch up with your blogs and reading etc … better late than never … actually it’s the Beeb’s re-winding of the Olympics this week! 

Olympic Park, Munich

Again an interest – I worked for the British Olympic Association for the Munich Olympics in 1972 and was privileged enough to be flown out for it …

Hydrangea with bee

… I’m sure if it had been the previous one in Mexico – they wouldn’t have gifted me a 3 day trip - I have various marketing materials … can’t say I remember much … but I enjoy the various sports …

Better stop before this week disappears … I will see you all soon … thanks in advance for stopping by … and stay safe all of you …

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Reflections … Love, Hope and Joy …

This time of year holds a few memories … the ups and downs of life … and while we’re in lock down I’ve been spending some time clearing out ‘stuff’ … and reflecting …

Four storey poster in Covent Garden
at the end of lock-down.
c/o Anthony Burrill, Covent Garden
Estates and CreativeBoom

 I’ve been finding odd snippets, photos, my own tales of life … both sides of my family have interesting histories … which over time I’ll draft up into some format … I won’t go looking for more – I’ve enough …

… because as a family ours stops here: no children – that’s fine … it’s the way it is … and for me makes life easier as far as this project is concerned: I can make the decisions and get on with things.

A family holiday at my mother’s first husband’s homeland – the Lake District … we used to row out to an island with a picnic to play and swim … anything to exhaust three boisterous children …

… our father would row and tow us through the water … what could be better – not a lot …

Lake Windemere

The boats still look the way I remember them!  A photo my brother took when they were in the area …

Grandpa would often drive us into Ambleside … and one day tried to turn round at the lake’s edge – he couldn’t get the car into reverse … and we slowly drifted into the water – I remember being pretty anxious … thankfully he found the gear rescuing the car (and us) before those murky depths appeared.

This letter my uncle found in his family piles – from his brother, my father, to their mother, dated 7^th May 1928 … as you can see … little boy forgetting important items, letting his Ma know how good he is at cricket … 

... and then the excitement of spotting a porpoise off the east coast of Kent – Westgate-on-Sea is just north of Whitstable and its Oyster beds …

Here I am aged 20 or so … ready for an Oxford ball … and I had (just) enough hair to put it up … managed that for a few years … but only a few!

These are my great, great, great (and possibly great) grandparents on my mother’s side – the photo is 1887 … and must be – I’m guessing sixtyish?  

They had ten children – not sure which one I sprang from … but I’ll find out anon …

72 years ago today ....

That’s life in lock-down … reflections on life over the years … in this case possibly nearly 200 – both families have known records going back to the 1700s and 1600s …

Have a peaceful independent rest of the year – being wise, full of joy, hope, and particularly love for all … and stay safe …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories