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INFECTIOUS DISEASES
TUBERCULOSIS
The number of people dying from tuberculosis declines steadily
though slowly, each year but the number of new cases does not diminish
This, however, is not due to any increase in the disease but to more
efficient case-finding by examination of home contacts, mass x-ray
surveys, field surveys and other means There are still many people
who object to submitting themselves to examination of any kind because
of perhaps unnecessary fears They fear discovery of the disease on
grounds of loss of employment, loss of friends or disruption of family
life, and for these reasons they resist all effort to persuade them to be
examined
One of the chief problems at the present time is the incidence of
tuberculosis in elderly persons These are often chronic infectious cases
who are not suitable for the radical treatment used in younger persons
Often these older persons do not realise the infectious nature of their
condition which is so dangerous to others in the home or at work, and
it is difficult for them to understand the need for the utmost personal
hygiene In cases like this where married children with young families
are forced to share the home, rehousing should receive a high priority
Hostel
In September the London County Council opened a hostel in Highgate
for ambulant tuberculous men transferred from a similar hostel in
Islington Those admitted to the hostel are men without homes of their
own or whose homes are unsatisfactory; their ages vary from about
40 to 80 years The men are under regular supervision of the Chest
Physician from the Whittington Hospital Bedding and other articles
are regularly collected each week and disinfected by the staff of the
Health Department
MASS X-RAY OF THE BOROUGH
In September a mobile mass x-ray unit from the North West Regional
Hospital Board visited Hornsey The total number of persons examined
was 3,716 which was disappointing in view of the numbers examined
during the last two visits of the unit to the Borough—4,677 in 1953 and
5,054 in 1951
The result of the survey was as follows:—
Male Female Totals
Number x-rayed 1,765 1,951 3,716
Recalled for large films 32 38 70
Those recalled were dealt with as follows:—
No further action 18 23 41
Further advice recommended 5 9 14
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