View report page

typhi-murium in a factory in a neighbouring Borough In the other four cases
no causal agent or infecting organism could be traced
Twelve persons were notified as suffering from dysentery, of these two
were not confirmed Ten were found to be suffering from bacteriological
dysentery, in nine instances the organism being confirmed as Shigella sonnei
Tuberculosis
Although the figure for notifications of tuberculosis was in total identical
with that for the previous year, i, e, 94, there was a fall in the number of
pulmonary cases notified, from 90 in 1954 to 85 in 1955, A slight rise has
occurred in the number of deaths from this disease, 7 persons having died from
tuberculosis during 1955 as compared with 4 in 1954 It will be seen from Table
IX that there have been no deaths from non respiratory tuberculosis since 1952.
The figures, in spite of the slight rise in the number of deaths, seem to show
a slow steady improvement in the situation with regard to pulmonary tuberculosis
as a whole* Prom the note attached to Table VIII it will be seen that one death
from tuberculosis occurred in a non notified case Although this is the first
time that only one of these non-notified deaths has been observed (in previous
years this number has been greater), it is not good to find that a patient can
still carry active tuberculosis till the time of his death without it having
been discovered. It is hoped that the widespread use of the Mass X~ray service
will gradually eliminate this possibility since one undiscovered case of tuber-culosis
can do a very great deal of damage amongst friends and relations and
even casual contacts
Facilities for diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis as well
as prevention and after care are provided by the Hounslow Chest Clinic, and home
visiting is carried out by Health Visitors attached to this Clinic, They are
also responsible for the examination of contacts and for the B C G inoculation
for the prevention of tuberculosis B C G inoculation is now offered to all
the Mantoux negative, L e, susceptible, contacts of newly discovered tuberculosis
cases: 42 residing in this Borough were inoculated during 1955,
A prominent part in the treatment is played by domiciliary chemo-therapy
(i.e. treatment with suitable drugs or injections given at home) on the recom
mendation of the Chest Physician with the aid of the Home Nurses (formerly
District Nurses) provided by the Middlesex County Council
Apart from institutional treatment provided by the local Hospital Management
Committees of the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board in General
Hospitals and in Chest Hospitals, there is also a Middlesex County Council
Hostel for chronic ambulant male tuberculous patients.
It was stated in the Annual Report for 1954 that the admission waiting list
for hospital or sanatorium treatment was falling and indeed had reached the
figure of 29, It is particularly pleasing to be able now to report that at the
end of 1955 there was no waiting list for hospital or sanatorium treatment, and
the modest hope expressed in the 1954 Report that the day might be reached when
there would be more institutional beds for this disease than patients to fill
them, seems to have been fulfilled in a very short time
Facilities for convalescence, rehabilitation and training are provided by
the Middlesex County Council and the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital
Board.
The social side of the treatment and prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis
is dealt with by the Welfare Department of the Hounslow Chest Clinic
-27-