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On the 233 deductions, 122 (116 pulmonary) were of persons who
had left the district, 35 (33 pulmonary) were of persons who had died,
62 (49 pulmonary) were of persons who had recovered and 14 (12 pulmonary)
were of persons who had been lost sight of.
The net increase in the number of cases on the register is 54, there
being 55 more pulmonary cases and one fewer non.pulmonary case.
These are much the same figures as last year and a marked fall on
those of the preceding years.
Deaths
13 persons (7 male and 6 female) died from pulmonary tuberculosis
during the year and 3 (1 male and 2 female) from non.pulmonary tuberculosis.
The number of deaths from tuberculosis in 1955 was 14.
This infection, then, accounted for a death rate per thousand
population of 0.07, and for 0.6 per cent. of the total deaths. These
figures are a marked contrast to those of 0.57 and 7.1 for 1934, and even
of those of 0.42 and 4.9 for 1948.
Preventive Measures
The improvement in the position of tuberculosis which dates back
to sometime in the last century was the result of the better conditions of
living which brought about improvements in other vital statistics such as
infant deaths. There was an acceleration in the progress shortly after
the introduction of specific measures dealing with this disease in the
second decade of this century. Since the war there has been a further
acceleration in the fall of the death rates, the result largely of chemotherapy
and antibiotics which attack the tubercle bacillus in the human
system.
The specific measures aimed at this disease may be those which
increase the resistance of the host and those which reduce the infectivity
of the sufferers.
This latter group can be divided into those which result in earlier
detection of the disease in the sufferers and those which make the patient
less infectious, e.g. chemotherapy. The early detection of the disease
not only means the recognition of the disease in the patient earlier so
that that much sooner he knows he is a risk to others and can take precautionary
steps, but by his being treated in the early stages he is saved
from the disease progressing to the more advanced and infectious stage.
One of the means of early detection is mass radiography. The
machine serving this district visits about once every three years; a visit
was paid in the summer of 1956. As before arrangements were made for
the examination of organised groups, these taking place mostly at the
places of employment. The unit visited 12 such premises where
altogether 8,230 persons were examined. Public sessions were held at a
number of premises. This year the unit besides being at Grant Road
School and Victoria Hall went to a number of districts for the first
time with encouraging results especially as many of those who attende
these sessions would probably not have attended anywhere before.
1,100 attended at South Harrow; 1,128 at Rayners Lane; 987 at Pinner
942 at Streatfield Road; 2,595 at Grant Road and 1,702 at Victoria Hall.