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20
Tuberculosis.
Particulars of new cases and of deaths from the disease during
1949 are given below:
102 new cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and 5 cases of NonPulmonary
Tuberculosis occurred during the year. There were 14
deaths from Pulmonary, and 2 deaths from Non-Pulmonary Tuberculosis
duing the year.
The following Table gives the age incidence of new cases of the
disease in 1949, and of deaths from the same cause.
During 1949 I investigated the number of children who attended
the Clinic whose parents or guardians were concerned about their
child's health for such reasons as that a child was an intimate
contact of a case of Pulmonary Tuberculosis or because the parents
suspected the child had been in contact with a case of Pulmonary
Tuberculosis. I included cases which the Clinic Medical Officers
had referred to the Ealing Chest Clinic. I have tabulated the
number of cases under the year of birth with the results of the
investigation, and have traced the known contacts.
The Patch Test is a method of ascertaining a person's reaction
to tuberculosis, and employs a jelly which contains Tuberculin.
This jelly is applied on a plaster to the skin for twenty-four hours.
If a reddening of the skin occurs it is apparent that the person has,
or has had, a Primary Complex. The ' Primary Complex' is a
term used to denote that a young person has acquired a first infection
due to the tubercle bacillus. It is believed that nearly all persons
have such an infection and with treatment this condition should
become quiescent or heal. But at a later date ill health associated
with a further respiratory infection may cause this condition to
flare up and cause Pulmonary Tuberculosis.