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22
THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF TUBERCULOSIS.
I am indebted to Dr.R.H.J.Fanthorpe, Chest Physician,
for the following section of the Report.
The Tuberculosis service is centred on the Chest Clinic, and
is fully integrated as between the Regional Hospital Board and
the local authority, working as a single unit. Work has now
begun on the Mayday Road Offices, and the ground floor of these
premises will become the new Chest Clinic. It is anticipated that
by the beginning of 1955 the Clinic will be housed in its new
accommodation.
Although social conditions were different in 1953, a comparison
with 1926 shows that in 1926, 101 per 100,000 of the
population in Croydon died from all forms of tuberculosis; in
1953 the corresponding figure was 14.8. The years selected were
eight years after a major war.
Measures for the prevention of the disease have been
extended, and during 1953 the number of contacts examined and
the number of contacts who have received protection by B.C.G.
vaccination have both increased. During the latter part of the
year a contact survey of a school was carried out subsequent to
the finding of a case of pulmonary tuberculosis among the staff.
The children in the school were tuberculin tested and the positive
reactors, together with the adult staff, were X-rayed by the Mass
Radiography Unit. No case of tuberculosis was found in either
the children or the staff.
The employment of the tuberculous after completion of treatment,
constitutes a problem, but the finding of suitable work for
these patients has been made easier by the holding of periodic
conferences between the Chest Physician, the Welfare Officer and
the Disablement Resettlement Officer from the local office of the
Ministry of Labour.
Incidence.
190 cases of Respiratory Tuberculosis and 21 cases of NonRespiratory
Tuberculosis were notified on Form A during 1953
(Table I—Formal Notifications). Of these 106 males and 84
females were Respiratory cases and 8 males and 13 females were
Non-Respiratory. In addition, 86 Respiratory cases and 7 NonRespiratory
cases came to our notice as new cases otherwise than
by notification (Table II—Supplemental Return).