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Of the 154 children skin tested, 14 were found to be positive. The
further examination of these children disclosed no abnormalities. Out
of a possible 52 contacts of the positive reactors 36 accepted the invitation
to attend the clinic. No adult was found to have tuberculosis but one
child was found to have a primary lesion. The committee agreed to
similar arrangements being made on a larger scale in the next school year.
(d) Examination by Mass Radiography. Throughout the country
mass radiography units examine some 5,000 persons each week. Since
the first unit started work in 1943 ten million people have been examined.
Previously unsuspected tuberculosis was found in 3.3 per thousand of
them. In the early days of the working of the mass X-ray unit some
bodies pressed for their use on a very large scale. Quite apart from the
fact that their use is limited by staff and the availability of the machines,
there is the important aspect of whether the examination of any but
special groups is worth while. The committee of the Medical Research
Council on the Method and Conduct of Mass Miniature Radiography
reported that: "Re-examination of the same individuals at short intervals
for the sole object of finding pulmonary tuberculosis is not justifiable.
It is not worth while to examine for pulmonary tuberculosis
alone by this technique children under the age of 14, while persons over
the age of 45 merit special consideration. The two best uses for mass
miniature radiography appear to be the examination of symptomatic
cases referred by doctors, and the grouping of units for comprehensive
surveys of 'black spots.' "
Of the new cases discovered in the country in 1953, one-fifth were
the result of mass X-ray examinations.
The report of the working of the 5c mass radiography unit which is
the one serving this amongst other districts showed that 61,905 persons
were examined in 1953. Of these two-thirds were industrial groups.
Examination of those at public sessions discovered 2.6 cases per thousand
examined against 1.6 of industrial surveys. The figure for schools was 1.0.
In the 8,713 in the industrial group examined in Harrow 56 cases were
found, a rate of 0.6; amongst the 6,863 examined at the public sessions
69 cases were found, a rate of 1.0 per thousand. There was no visit
by the unit to this district last year.
(e) The group which yields the highest proportion of sufferers on
examination is that of persons referred to the Chest Clinics by their
doctors. During the years, 1949-52, 12,665 new patients were referred
or examination by their doctors. Of these 27 per thousand were found
to be suffering from tuberculosis.
Preventive Inoculation. Although in some countries much use
has been made of B.C.G. vaccination it has been accepted only slowly
in tins country. Many probably are awaiting the results of the Medical
Research Council's enquiry to learn the true value or what is the best
way of using it. There is in this country no case for the immunising of
the general population and anything done will probably be limited to such
groups as those who are close contacts of infection, or those of ages
especially prone to develop the disease, or those whose occupations
render them especially liable to infection. Many feel that facilities could