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PREVENTION OF ILLNESS, CARE AND AFTER-CARE
The work under this section of the Act is mainly concerned with
Tuberculosis and I am indebted to Dr. H. Duff-Palmer, Consultant
Physician to the Wanstead and Woodford Chest Clinic at Harts Hospital
for the following report: -
"The work of the Chest Clinic continues as shown by the following
Number of X-ray Examinations 3,910
New cases notified 23
New contacts 161
Old contacts 732
B.C.G. Vaccinations 73
Notified cases transferred in 40
Notified cases transferred out 29
The Influenza Vaccine Trial, details of which were given in last year's
report, was continued for another year.
Much of the Chest Clinic work is now concerned with treatment and
alleviation of chronic bronchitis. In Great Britain, over two million
suffer from this debilitating disease and over thirty thousand die every
year. Each year, chronic bronchitis causes the loss of about twenty-six
million working days. The causes are varied and complicated, but
there are three very important contributory factors
(1) Cigarette smoking (2) Atmospheric pollution
(3) Germ infection of the bronchial tubes
Patients suffering from chronic bronchitis, who can be persuaded to
give up smoking, invariably feel better. At the Chest Clinic, every effort
is made to help patients give up smoking by example, persuasion,
medical treatment and advice. In particular, we try to prevent young
people and teenagers from starting the tobacco habit, which also causes
or aggravates, other serious diseases, such as carcinoma and coronary
heart disease. All types of lung disease, acute and chronic, are seen and
those requiring further investigation and treatment are admitted to the
Chest Unit of Harts Hospital.
Thus, a complete in-patient and out-patient service is provided for
the Borough of Wanstead and Woodford.
In the field of tuberculosis, it will be seen that the notified cases have
fallen from thirty-one to twenty-three. Thus, the downward trend continues
to be very satisfactory.
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