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92
Report of Tuberculosis Officer—continued.
torium from some other institution and who will attend Dispensary
on discharge. Similarly as regards contacts; several contacts of
cases notified late in the year attend in the early part of the
following year and are not therefore included in the table dealing
with the examination of contacts of cases notified during the year.
28 % of the total contacts were examined before the end of the year.
53% of the child „ ,, ,,
16 % of the adult ,, ,, „
It is of interest to note that the number of child contacts is
much smaller than the number of adult contacts—approximately
half the number. Figures for some years past show a similar
percentage.
In considering the number of contacts examined during the
year, it is desirable to point out that in the Ministry of Health
table (page 88), the term " contact " is restricted to persons who
come, on advice, for examination purely as the result of recent
notification of some member of the household.
If a person comes because he has a cough or other suspicious
symptoms and wishes to be examined to see if he is all right, he
is not classed as a contact but as a "suspect."
No contacts, as defined above, were found to be tuberculous
during the year under report, but 30 persons who had another
member of their respective households notified in previous years
(over half of whom were known to be cases with Tubercle
Bacilli in sputum), were seen during 1935 and found to be
suffering from tuberculosis.
The Tuberculin Testing of child contacts of tuberculosis
was continued and the results are given below.
In most of the cases giving a positive result to the test, and
also in a few negative cases, an X-ray examination was made.
If any doubtful appearances were found, or if the child was in an
unsatisfactory state of health, recommendations were made for
treatment such as a period of convalescent treatment.