TUBERCULOSIS SURVEY

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21582, 19 November 1941, Page 4

TUBERCULOSIS SURVEY

“An earnest attempt by the Government to grapple with the problem of tuberculosis in its early stages” is leading to a very interesting experiment in New Zealand. Hundreds of men, women and children representing a cross-section of industrial workers and clerks are being examined under X-ray to discover how prevalent the disease is, the incidence of its development and a possible indication of adequate remedial treatment. Much has been heard about the ravages of the disease, and all kinds of remedies have been suggested, but the first need is to discover the extent and the nature of the problem. The survey now being undertaken should yield useful information.

Examination of thousands of men for the armed forces has disclosed many defects which were previously unknown to the individual concerned and to the health authorities. These men should be the healthiest section of the whole community, so that the results of the military examinations do not represent the state of health of all the people. In other countries it has been suggested that the strain of war work has precipitated tuberculosis particularly in the age group between 14 and 35 years. On the other hand it is said that hard work has never killed anyone. Perhaps the survey will elucidate that problem if tests are made at suitable intervals. One surprising fact in this connection is that the general health of the people of Britain has not suffered in spite of the fact that Britons in the past two years have passed through the greatest physical and mental stain in their history- That, of course, may not apply to the incidence of tuberculosis.

Periodical health examinations of all people has often been advocated by health specialists. If an examination of the whole nation is not practicable at the present time, the next best thing may be an examination of a thoroughly representative cross-section, which should give the necessary data for a scientific approach to the public health problem. It might have been advisable, instead of confining the present survey to the study of tuberculosis, to have covered the whole field of health. Tuberculosis is one of the most serious diseases to which the human flesh is heir, but it is not alone among the deadly scourges. The experiment will be followed with interest and might lead to important developments in the advancement of the public health.