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For diagnostic purposes, Southall patients are mostly referred either by general
practitioners or from hospital doctors to the Uxbridge Chest Clinic, and if tuberculosis is
found treatment and following-up is instituted from that Clinic. The Tuberculosis Visitor
calls at the home of a patient and submits a copy of her report to the Public Health Department.
Contacts are seen by the Visitor and they have suitable tests, either tuberculin tests
or X-rays, or both, at the Chest Clinic. If sanitary defects or overcrowding are reported
further visiting is carried out from the Public Health Department.
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
108 during 1958, and the details are as follows:—
New born babies 12
Children under 1 year 31
Children 1-4 years 30
Children 5-15 years 30
Over 15 years 5
108

Tuberculosis Vaccines Clinical Trial
During 1958 the Tuberculosis Vaccines Clinical Trial continued.
In the Autumn of 1950 the Medical Research Council, in conjunction with many local
authorities in North London, the Midlands and the North of England, began a national
investigation into the value of vaccination against tuberculosis. In 1950 B.C.G. vaccine was
known to be of mass value to those in contact with the disease, for example nurses, and
children living in the same home as a case of tuberculosis. However, there was disagreement
as to whether the vaccine should be used on a wide scale for children who were not contacts.
A clinical trial was, therefore, begun to assess the contribution likely to be made to the
prevention of tuberculosis by widespread vaccination. Children who at that time were aged
fourteen and were in their last terms at Secondary Modern Schools were invited to take part
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