Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1937-11-25
FIGHTING
TUBERCULOSIS
: as - IN
County
BY v. L. ELLICoTT.

suppress tuberculosis in our county il
carried on by two organizations, the
County tuberculosis Association and
the Health Department. The Tuber-.
culosis Association, a voluntary
organization, raises funds by the sale
Of Christmas seals. After deducting
twenty-five percent payable to the
State Tuberculosis Association, five
percent to the National tuberculosis
Association and the expense of the
sale itself, the proceeds are expended
through the County Health Depart
ment for tuberculosis work. The
tuberculosis Association maintains no
staff of its own.
Is This Plan Sound? 1t is best to
work only through the Health Depart
nent in fighting tuberculosis? The
tuberculosis Association could, Of
course, set up its own program with
out calling on the Health Department
staff. n could employ nurse of its
own orr operate a childrens' camp.
This would give individuality to the
work; bat it would be poor efficiency.
The association could not do the whole
job. The Health Department would
have to conduct an official program
also. Coordination would be very
hard. fsn
Public Health Nurses. There are
many measures to fight tuberculosis
the clinic, the x-ray, the tuberculin
test, Adf example-but the most
effective weapon is the public health
nurse. Authorities agree that an eff
fective program is not possible with
out reasonable number of nurses in
proportion to the population. For this
reason, the money received from the
tuberculosis Association is devoted
largely to the salaries of nurses. It
has been an important factor in build
ing the staff up from three to seven.
Recent Progress. The county began
to intensity its tuberculosis program
five years ago. In February 1893 the
Health Department, with the assist
ance Of tuberculosis Association
funds, employed an additional nurse,
who for a period devoted all her time
to study Of the county's tuberculo-
sis records. We concluded from her
study that the most effective APP
proach would be to concentrate on the
families Of the- known cases. We
therefore began examining all, .or
nearly, all, persons. in each family
group, having these done either by
the private physician or the health
department clinic. In many cases the
health officer and nurse visited the
home and gave preliminary tuber-
culin test so that x-rays and physical
examinations could be limited to those
found positive. Recently, x-rays have
been taken without preliminary
tuberculin testing, because the time
and transportation of the testing ex-
coed the cost of the additional x-rays.
We feel in general that the pro-
gress in tuberculosis prevention in the
last five years has been fairly salts
factory, not because Of any great de-
crease in the death rate, but because
Of the soundness Of the program, the
good cooperation Of the physicians
and the increase in public interest.
Future Program. A recent analysis
indicates that the time has now come
for beginning carefully planned pro-
gram of tuberculin testing in the
schools. This work has been done in
many places. In some instances, the
costs have been high in proportion to
the benefits, but much Of the work
has been exceedingly profitable. Last
year, in Washington County, Mary
land as result of tuberculin testing,
eight high school children were found
with active diseases needing sanatof-
ium care. The work developed an en-
thusiastic interest among the physi-
clans and the public.
Our county needs a portable x-ray
machine for use in its clinics. At pre-
sent, patients have to 60 to one of the
two hospitals of the county for x-rays.
When they cannot secure transporta-
ton for this, it is some times
necessary for the nurses to lose much
time in taking them. A unit at the
clinic will save this. By taking the
pictures on the same trip in which the
patients are examined, It will reduce
transportation to one trip to the
clinic.
If the tuberculin testing program
is carried out in the schools, the x-ray
machine can be set up in each large
school and be used not only for the
pictures Of tuberculin positive children
but also for members of their fami-
lies.
Due to improvements in manufact-
v,ra r.ond Ynanhfnaa cap noxv ho my