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Visiting of Patients. The Tuberculosis Nurses have made
4,425 visits during the year.
The Prevention of Tuberculosis. In reports of past years,
attention has been drawn to the importance of Milk and Green
Vegetables in maintaining health and preventing Tuberculosis and
to the fact that the necessity of making these articles of food part
of the daily diet of children and young adults is not realised by
individuals.
A study of seven cases of children with Tuberculosis of the
Lungs (with positive sputum) supplies evidence that the lack of
Green Vegetables in the regular diet of these children has played
a part in the manifestation of the disease.
Of these seven cases, three had regularly refused to eat Green
Vegetables, three had habitually left them, and only one child,
who had been a patient for 10 years from the age of 4 years, was
reported to eat them. With one exception the diet of other children
in the family and the parents has been normal.
In these cases the deficiency of the diet was not due to poverty
but rather to the lack of understanding on the part of the
parent of the needs of the child and of the right method of management.
In other cases, however, deficiency of Green Vegetables
has been due to poverty of the parents. In only one instance was
there another case of Tuberculosis in the family, and in only one
case could one say that the home was overcrowded. A study of
cases among adolescents confirms these findings.
Summary. It would appear that individuals whose diet is
deficient in Green Vegetables are particularly liable to develop
Tuberculosis of the Lungs and, possibly, other diseases. They
should be regarded as the susceptible soil, and might be described
as the Pre-Tuberculous and, possibly, Pre-Rheumatic or PreCatarrhal.
The Prevention of Tuberculosis requires education of parents
in the principle of right feeding and wise child guidance.
Tuberculosis Nurses have been instructed to search among
the contacts and persuade them to attend the Dispensary, not only
for medical examination, but also for instruction and education,
so that with the co-operation of their parents they will learn to
accept such food as part of their daily diet.
At School Meal Centres, it is suggested that Green Vegetables
be provided as part of the daily ration instead of, or in addition,
to Potatoes.
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