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and kindly made available by the authorities of the King's Hall Methodist Church, was 7,234,
3,168 male and 4,066 female.
Of these, 85 in all were recalled for further investigation and out of this number
positive cases found were 3 male and 6 female. Cancer of the lung was also discovered in
4 cases, 3 male and 1 female. At the end of the visit, the Unit went to the Associated
Equipment Company's premises in Southall in order to carry out a survey of employees
of that factory; 2,695 persons were examined there in all, 2,425 male, 270 female; and 1
male was found to be positive. It will be seen that the total number of persons examined
during the 3 weeks was, therefore, 9,929, and the number of cases of active tuberculosis
found amongst Southall residents and people working in Southall was 10, i.e. less than
1 per thousand. This is quite a satisfactory figure.
The analysis of the housing conditions of new cases shows that in 70 of 78 notified
patients living in Southall, exclusive of the St. Bernard's Hospital notifications, housing
conditions were good in 59 instances. 8 patients were living in overcrowded homes, in
4 cases amounting to statutory overcrowding, and 3 were found to be living in houses
affected with dampness of a remedial nature, to which attention was given at once. In
9 instances the homes of the newly notified cases already contained cases of tuberculosis,
in 3 of these homes there were already 2 cases, and in 1 the new notification was the fourth
in the same household. In 2 of these cases of multiple notifications overcrowding was
present. The housing conditions of the remaining 8 notified cases were not available,
either because the case was an inward transfer from another district, or because removal
occurred too soon for a visit to be paid by the Chest Clinic Officer, or for some other similar
reason.
Tuberculosis Vaccine Clinical Trial—Medical Research Council Scheme. At Easter,
1951 j young people attending secondary schools in Southall were invited to volunteer to
join this trial which was for the purpose of determining the value of tuberculosis vaccines
if used for the general population in the same way as diphtheria immunisation. Until
Easter, 1952, all young people in their last two terms at the secondary modern schools were
invited to join, and if they agreed each volunteer was given an X-ray, and skin test, and
those giving unsatisfactory results were vaccinated with B.C.G. vaccine. All the young
people concerned are being followed up to determine the value of the vaccine. The follow
up consists of a postal form sent to each volunteer once a year, a visit from the Health
Visitor, and an annual chest X-ray. Those who moved to other districts are followed up
if possible, and even those who emigrate can be kept in touch. This is all part of a larger
scheme for volunteers in London, Birmingham and Manchester and including 54,000
young people. It is too early yet to obtain results from the follow-up of these cases, but
it is hoped that much interesting information will be available for a subsequent report.
Research into incidence of new tuberculosis in the adolescent. A trial scheme for the
investigation of high incidence of tuberculosis amongst young adults, by means of an
examination of school leavers, and an annual review of those subsequently volunteering to
enter the scheme, was begun in October, 1952, by the staff of the Mass X-ray Unit. Part
of the scheme also consists in preliminary propaganda in the schools and the distribution
of explanatory letters to parents. Ten education areas in Middlesex were brought into
this scheme, including Southall, and in this Borough 855 school leavers were invited to
take part (440 boys and 415 girls). Of these, 523 consented to do so (258 boys and 265
girls). This response is very good indeed and is much higher than that obtained in any
other of the education areas concerned. The full results of this scheme will not, of course,
be available for a number of years as it is designed to cover a ten year age group, i.e. 15 to
24, and the incidence of tuberculosis morbidity during the 10 years after leaving school,
and the value of these results will depend, to a great extent, on the continued co-operation
of the individuals concerned in the survey.
Graph B is a pictorial representation of the statistics of tuberculosis in the Borough
from 1930 to 1953.
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