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pupil, were not carried out because it was known that the unit was shortly
to visit and that the pupils were to be encouraged to attend for examination.
As almost all these older children were found to be free from disease,
it seems certain that there is no point in examining large numbers of
younger children as a routine measure. It would be a different matter, of
course, if for any reason pupils, even young ones, were considered to have
been expecially at risk of contracting infection.
The 30 cases which were diagnosed as the result of the examination
of some 12,000 persons by the unit were persons in whom presumably, if
it had not been for that examination, the disease would have progressed.
Not only have these persons, as individuals, benefited because they can
now have treatment for the disease in an earlier stage of its development
than they otherwise would have had it, but the public also has gained
in that each patient was an unknown spreader of the disease for a shorter
time, while as well it might in some cases be that the disease has been
recognised in such an early stage and can be cured without that person
ever becoming a spreader. While, then, the activities of the unit in any
year might result in the number of notifications for that year being
larger than otherwise they would have been, its effects must in future
years be a reduction in the number of sufferers.
Schools and Tuberculosis.
Towards the end of 1950, a girl aged 16 attending one of the
Secondary Grammar Schools was found to be suffering from pulmonary
tuberculosis : she had positive sputum. Arrangements were made for
all pupils and staff of the school to be offered the facilities for being
tuberculin tested and being examined by the Mass X-ray Unit. The
work was done by Dr. Grenville-Mathers, physician of the Harrow Chest
Clinic. No case of tuberculosis was found amongst either the pupils or
the staff and the incidence of Mantoux positive children was very low,
there being only 57 out of 348 girls, 56 out of 312 boys, and 17 out of
28 members of the staff.
In the summer of last year a girl of 15 at a Secondary Grammar
School was found to be suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis. No
investigations were carried out at the school because all pupils of 16 and
over at this and other secondary schools were being invited to attend for
examination by the Mass X-ray Unit which was coming to the district
in June and July. Of the pupils from this school who attended for
examination, two were found to be suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis
; one of these was a member of the same class as the previously
detected case, the other was not. By the time the information about
these other two girls became known, it was too late to do anything at
the school which was about to break up for the summer holidays. In
view of the long time which would elapse before any arrangements could
be made through the school, the parents of all the pupils and all members
of the staff were written to advising them that it would be as well for
them as contacts of a case to be examined. This was desirable in the
interests of any of the contacts who might have contracted the infection
so that the disease could be detected in the earliest stages, and was also
desirable with a view to detecting any spreader of the infection, if there