View report page

2
Tuberculosis.
I set out below the number of new notifications that have
been recorded in Enfield for the years 1937 to 1942. This shews a
comparison between the three pre-war and three war years.
Year Pulmonary Non-Pulmonary
1937 72 16
1938 87 18
1939 71 14
1940 84 14
1941 89 25
1942 100 18
It will be seen that there has been a considerable increase in
the number of notifications of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. This is in
my opinion a most disturbing factor. Although sanitarians have
been satisfied that the health of the community has been well
maintained since the outbreak of war, increase in Tuberculosis has
been general throughout the country. It is a matter of grave concern
to us locally. Tuberculosis is a disease which tends to strike in
particular at the adolescent and the young adult. At the best,
recovery can be expected after a long period of treatment; at the
worst, death occurs after a short illness.
I am unable to state the cause of this increase in Tuberculosis ;
I would offer the suggestion, however, that there are certain conditions
of life today that are conducive towards the acquisition of
the disease—the first is the black-out and the second the intensification
of daily effort. It has been argued, and possibly rightly so,
that many people acquire Tuberculosis at some time or another,
but that their normal resistance is such that they cure themselves
sometimes without symptoms or with but slight cough and a feeling
of debility. Evidence of this is found during post mortem examination
of persons dying of another disease at advanced ages. Signs
are often found of healed Tubercular lesions in the lungs of individuals,
who during their lives, complained of no symptoms of the
disease.
What is the position today ? The adolescent and the young
adult, and even the more elderly person who contracts a small dose
of Tuberculosis is subjected to black-out conditions and unsatisfactory
ventilation. In addition he is working longer hours than
usual and does not obtain the rest and open air recreation he might
have had in pre-war years. His resistance is insufficient to overcome
a mild tubercular infection and he becomes a case of Tuberculosis.