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Report of the Consultant Physician.
Camberwell Chest Clinic.
During 1955, 6,053 new cases were examined at the Chest
Clinic compared with 5,060 in the previous year. One of the
results of this increased work has been a rise in the Tuberculosis
Register from 1,926 to 2,002. As in the past few years the
greater part of this increase in numbers has occurred in the
male age group of over 45. The total number of new cases added
to the Register has fallen from 364 to 334. The inward transfer
of cases from other clinics was 101: this figure in part reflects
the alteration in the population in Camberwell resulting from
the policy of the London County Council in rehousing the
tuberculous. A study of the geographical distribution of these
cases does not suggest that there is any preponderance of
patients on the Tuberculosis Register in any particular housing
scheme.
Seventy-six cases were removed from the Tuberculosis
Register as "recovered," a figure which reflects the satisfactory
outcome of treatment and continuous observation over a number
of years. Such patients are encouraged to attend the clinic at
regular intervals during the year for X-ray to ensure that the
disease has not recurred.
The mortality figures are in keeping with the trend throughout
the country; 46 patients on the Register died but in only
30 was death directly attributable to their tuberculous disease;
28 deaths from respiratory tuberculosis and 2 from nonrespiratory
tuberculosis.
The Clinic continues to provide facilities for ante-natal
chest X-ray examinations as well as maintaining the service
whereby General Practitioners may refer patients for a chest
X-ray examination only. The number of patients referred
from the Mass X-ray Units continues at the same level for the
general population and also regrettably the same high level for
the inmates of a Reception Centre where an attack rate of 80
cases of tuberculosis per 1,000 examined is the rule rather than
the exception when the Unit visits this institution. Recently
it has been questioned whether the use of Mass X-ray Units in
carrying out surveys of factories and similar places where there
are high population densities, is more likely to yield more cases
of active tuberculosis than one of surveying certain age groups,
particularly men over 45, and certain social classes, especially
classes IV and V. There are admittedly administrative difficulties
in persuading such people to have chest X-rays and the
whole problem of propaganda directed towards these groups