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Ninety-six ante-natal patients have been X-rayed of whom
one was found to have active tuberculosis. One hundred and
seventy-nine contacts were X-rayed but no evidence of tuberculous
disease was found in them. Eighty-eight children and young
adults were given B.C.G. inoculation because they were contacts
of cases with tuberculosis. Thirty positive Mantoux children were
referred to us from school but none was found to have active
disease.
Many patients have attended the Chest Clinic for investigation
of other chest diseases including neoplasm of the lung, bronchitis
and asthma, etc. Twenty-eight patients were found to have
carcinoma of the lung as compared with 40 last year. They were
referred to the Brook Hospital for surgical treatment or radiotherapy.
The total number of attendances for all patients was 8,256
which is approximately the same as last year. The total number
of chest X-rays was 6,028 which is also similar to the number for
last year. A proportion of these X-rays were taken as part of a
routine service provided for local General Practitioners; patients
for whom their General Practitioner does not consider it necessary
to attend for full examination at the Clinic, can have X-ray only
and are recalled for further investigation only if some abnormality
is found.
Continued interest has been taken in bronchitis and asthma
with a view to investigating and treating these conditions at an
early stage where possible in an attempt to prevent more permanent
disability. Specialised investigations have included tests for the
presence of underlying allergy which may be prevented or treated
with vaccine; respiratory function tests and investigation of the
patients' blood for antibodies against certain organic dusts and
foreign protein which have been found to cause certain types of
lung disease. As a result of these special tests it has been
discovered that lung disease of a severe and progressive nature,
which is distinct from asthma, may be caused in some cases by J
exposure to birds, especially budgerigars and pigeons.
We have continued to keep under supervision a large number
of patients who have unfortunately become already disabled as a
result of various kinds of chest disease and in whom a number
of social problems are found. Difficulty in finding suitable employment
results in poor morale and probably aggravates one's
ill health and it is hoped that some form of sheltered work might
become available for these disabled persons. Unsuitable housing
appears to play a large part in aggravating some of these patients'
chest symptoms due to dampness and excessive dust and crowding.