4 NOVEMBER 1960, Page 13

SIR,--I enjoyed Geoffrey Murray's stimulating sur- vey of Fringe Medicine

very much, but I think he has forgotten one factor leading to self-treatment. It is the saving of time. To buy something for your cold/cough/constipation at the chemist takes two minutes. To consult a NHS doctor may take up to an hour and a half waiting among fellow patients with a fine assortment of germs. One of the chief defects of the Service is its assumption that all patients have an infinite amount of time on their hands.—Yours faithfully,

21 Hilgrove Road, NW6

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RENEE HAYNES