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Classification of New Patients.
(a) Pulmonary Tuberculosis. During 1936, 188 patients who
attended the Dispensary for the first time and were found to be
suffering from tuberculosis were reported by the Tuberculosis
Officer to be in the undermentioned stages of the disease at the
time of diagnosis:—
T.B. minus (sputum negative or absent) 58, or 30.9 per cent.
T.B. plus 1 (early cases, sputum positive) 19, or 10.1 per cent.
T.B. plus 2 (intermediate cases, sputum positive) 94, or 50.0 per cent.
T.B. plus 3 (advanced cases, sputum positive) 17, or 9.0 per cent.
(b) Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis. There were 49 cases of nonpulmonary
tuberculosis in the following forms: —
Bones and joints.
Peripheral glands.
Abdomen.
Skin.
Other organs.
Examination of Home Contacts.
Tuberculosis claims its victims in early manhood and womanhood.
The source of infection of a patient, apart from the consumption
of tuberculous milk, is by contact with a person suffering
from active pulmonary tuberculosis. It is therefore essential for
all persons.to be examined and re-examined until at least four years
have passed from the time they were known to be last exposed to
infection. It is difficult to persuade contacts, especially young
adults, to submit to such periodical examination. They do not
realise how important it is to detect the disease in its early stages
for a cure to be effected or to arrest the disease. Education is,
however, playing its part and the public is gradually beginning to
realise the value of contact examination. The number of persons
living in contact with tuberculous patients which came to the
notice of the Department for the first time during 1936 was 630.
Of this number 407 were examined at or in connection with the
tuberculosis dispensary during the year. 1.72 per cent, of these
cases were found to be definitely tuberculous. In 5 cases the
diagnosis was not completed at December 31st, 1936. Mantoux
tests were done in 72 cases.
Housing and Tuberculosis.
The spread of this disease by environmental causes such as
bad housing is well known. Healthy conditions with separate
bedroom accommodation for the patient is a safeguard against
other members of the family being exposed to the risk of infection.
During 1936, 28 tuberculous families living in the borough
received improved housing accommodation from the London County
Council.
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