The consultation books include not only Fairbairn’s appointments with his private patients but also at hospital clinics, such as the Jordanburn Nerve Hospital, and work for the Ministry of Pensions.

The records have been written in pocket medical diaries and are presented in tabular format. Each table spans one calendar month and the tables are arranged chronologically. The significance of the arrangement of the entries within each table is unclear. In each table is recorded the following information: the patient`s or clinic`s name; the days of the month, and the number of sessions per day, that each patient or clinic consulted Fairbairn; the monthly total of consultations for each patient or clinic; and, occasionally, the charge levied by Fairbairn for the consultations.