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Until 24th December, 1957, a hospital for the treatment of male cases of tuberculosis
was maintained in Southall, the Mount Pleasant Hospital, but the demand for sanatorium
treatment has been falling due to the decline in incidence of tuberculosis, and the Regional
Hospital Board decided to close the hospital for tuberculosis and reopen the wards for the
treatment of chronic aged sick. Patients still under treatment were transferred to other
sanatoria and the out.patient clinic cases transferred to other clinics.
At St. Bernard's Hospital, cases of tuberculosis are isolated in Adelaide Ward, which
has 24 male and 24 female beds. One of the doctors from Uxbridge Chest Clinic continues to
carry out tuberculin testing and B.C.G. vaccination of members of the nursing staff of the
hospital.
B.C.G. Vaccination
B.C.G. vaccination is offered to contacts of cases of tuberculosis, to medical and nursing
staffs of tuberculosis wards, and since 1957, as a result of the findings of the Medical Research
Council in their Tuberculosis Vaccines Clinical Trial, to children aged 13 and over in Southall
schools. Testing with tuberculin is carried out beforehand. The tuberculin test, if
positive, shows that infection has occurred at some time during life, and further investigation
is undertaken to verify whether this is active, chronic or healed infection, as these all give
the same result to the test. When the tuberculin test is negative and in the absence of
disease, B.C.G. inoculations are carried out in order to render the individuals tuberculin
positive and, therefore, to have immunity to infection by the tuberculous bacillus.
The number of children who received B.C.G. through the Chest Clinic was in total
66 during 1957, and the details are as follows:—
New born babies 26
Children under 1 year 7
Children 1.4 years 9
Children 5.15 years 21
Over 15 years 3
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Tuberculosis Vaccines Clinical Trial
During 1957 the Tuberculosis Vaccines Clinical Trial continued.
This investigation began in 1951, its object being to determine the value of tuberculosis
vaccines when used on a mass scale in this country. Twenty.two North London boroughs,
including Southall, and areas in the Midlands and North of England are co.operating with
the Medical Research Council in the investigation.
During 1951/52 pupils aged 14 in Secondary Modern Schools were invited to join the
scheme, and 60,000 children eventually took part, including a number from Southall. All
the children had a chest X.ray and were given a skin test to decide whether or not they are
eligible for vaccination. A proportion of these who were eligible were given either B.C.G.
or vole bacillus vaccine. Since then it has been the task of those administrating the scheme
to keep in touch with all the participants to find out if the protection conferred by the
vaccines is sufficient to make mass vaccination worthwhile.
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