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Dr. Morgan's Comments.—"A recent analysis of the results
of examinations carried out by the South East London Mass X-ray
Service in 1956 shows that the over-all incidence of active tuberculosis
in those examined was 3.6 per thousand, with figures of 2.9 for
the factory, office, hospital group, and 4.0 for general public.
These figures are based on the examination of about 150,000
persons annually in South East London and North Kent, and although
they do represent the actual incidence found, it is perhaps unwise to
draw too many conclusions in individual areas where the number of
persons examined may be too small to give a statistically sound
result. Nevertheless, the figures show that the likely incidence of
active tuberculosis in the population as a whole is a great deal higher
than is commonly thought.
The elimination of pulmonary tuberculosis in a population must
depend upon the reduction of the number of infectious cases to a
sufficiently low level and experience has shown that the number of
cases discovered by the usual channels of general practitioner,
hospital and chest clinic is not sufficient to reduce the pool of
infection to a low enough level. This statement is borne out by the
fact that the current mass radiography figure of significant tubterculosis
in South East London amongst the general population is four