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16
X-ray of
Immigrants
The main infector pool now lies in elderly people who
remain undetected because they have a chronic disease giving
rise to few symptons. Often these cases only come to light as
a result of diagnosing the disease in contacts and backtracking
and examining all the other contacts. It is the impression,
also, that a proportion of the disease is imported, some
of it from Eire. The Ministry of Health instituted a scheme
during the year whereby immigrants must inform Port Medical
Officers of their destination in the United Kingdom; Port
Medical Officers then inform the Medical Officer of Health of
the area and he follows up the immigrant, urges him to register
with a doctor and to attend the Chest Clinic for a skin test
and chest X-ray. The scheme has obvious drawbacks and as a
means of controlling the entry of tuberculosis is inadequate. It
relies on voluntary co-operation which is often not forthcoming,
the immigrant often moves on quickly from his first port of call
and is lost sight of and finally and most important it puts the
onus of detecting the disease on the medical staff within the
country of entry instead of in the country of origin. Anyone who
has spoken to potential emigrants to the United States of
America will be aware of the stringent medical requirements
which must be met in the country of origin. It is difficult to see
why the same system should not apply to our own immigrants.
Notification
of
Tuberculosis
There were notified 69 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and
13 of non-pulmonary tuberculosis during the year. This total
of 82 was rather higher than the combined figures for previous
years. In Appendix 3 is given the age incidence, sources of
notification and composition of the tuberculosis register. It
will be seen that the age group 45 — 64 is well represented. 9
of the cases were Asians.
Mass
Radiography
The static mass X-ray Unit at the Thompson Rooms, High
Road, Ilford, performed again a very useful service to the
community. Appendix 4 shows details of the work carried out
at the Unit.
I am grateful for the willing co-operation of Dr. D. Adler
and Dr. M. Weinberger at the Ilford Chest Clinic, Dr. H. Duff
Palmer at the Harts Hospital, and Dr. Hugh Ramsay of the
Mass Radiography Service. Dr. E. Atkinson and his staff in the
Bacteriology Laboratory at Oldchurch Hospital provided courteous
and helpful service and advice throughout the vear and
to them also I am most grateful.