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85
Report of Tuberculosis Officer—continued.
to have their children tested and regularly supervised at the
Dispensary, so that the earliest beginningsof disease might be detected
and treated.
It is difficult to get a satisfactory number of contacts to attend
for examina.ion in the ordinary way and many parents object to
injections of any sort, but from April to the end of the year,
100 children between one and 15 years of age were tested. The
results, with notes as to action taken, are given below.
In practically all cases giving a positive result to the test, and
also in a few negative cases, an X-ray examination was made, and
if any doubtful appearances were found, or if the child was in an
unsatisfactory state of health, recommendations were made for such
treatment as was deemed advisable.
Dividing the children into age groups:—
Group 1 (1 to 2 years)—Only one child was tested in this Group.
The father was suffering from advanced disease with tubercle
bacilli in the sputum. The child gave a reaction to 0.1 mg. There
were no abnormal physical signs, but the X-ray examination
proving suspicious, the child was recommended for institutional
observation, and though not diagnosed definitely tuberculous, it was
recommended from sanatorium that further observation at dispensary
was advisable.
Group 2 (2 to 5 years)—17 children were tested, 16 being contacts
of T.B. positive cases. Of the 16, 2 did not have the test
completed and 7 gave a negative result. The father of one of these
latter cases having advanced disease, the child was recommended
for " boarding-out " away from home. The remaining eight gave
positive results, and of these, one gave definite X-ray evidence of
disease and was removed to sanatorium; convalescent treatment
was recommended for another who was not in a good state of health.
Group 3 (5 to 12 years)—In the 75 children tested in this group
are included 21 who were not definitely known to have been in
contact with any cases of tuberculosis. Three of these latter did
not complete the test, 12 gave a negative reaction and 6 a positive
reaction. Three of the negative reactors who were in an unsatisfactory
state of health were recommended for convalescent treatment,
and three for open air schools.