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175
Stage of Disease:—

Stage I. of Turban's classification implies slight disease
affecting one lobe of the lung or half of two lobes.
Stage II. implies definite infitration of one lobe or disease of
moderate severity affecting only half of two lobes.
Stage III. implies any condition of greater extent and
severity than Stage II., or any cavity formation in the
lungs.
This classification has the disadvantage that it is based purely on
anatomical data and takes no cognisance of systemic disturbance. It
however exhibits sufficiently clearly the preponderence of earlier cases
dealt with at the dispensary. It is obvious that the earlier cases of
phthisis are induced to come to the dispensary the more hopeful the
outlook for the individual patient, and the less the chance of contagion
as regards those who come into contact with him.
R"-o.raminationi.—During the eleven months, 100 re-examinations
of patients under treatment took place.
Contactx.—During the period under review, 201 contacts wore
examined, and 48 of these (23 per cent.) were found to be suffering from
pulmonary tuberculosis, and were treated at the dispensary.
One of the tragic facts about pulmonary tuberculosis is that infected
persons do not, as a rule, seek medical advice until the disease is in the
more advanced stages and, in consequence, the difficulty of arresting the
disease in the individual is much increased. Every effort has been
made to induce those in close relationship with existing cases to undergo
examination at the dispensary, and in this way many hitherto
unsuspected cases of the disease have been "unearthed" and treated,