The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-11-28

questions Of general interest
only, and then only through
his column.
as illustrative OF the modern tech
nique used to detect tuberculosis
among school children:
an. S., an eight-year-old school.
girl, had a slight cough which
lasted the greater part ef one
winter. She appeared rundown
and played less actively than other
children Of her own age. Occa-
sIonal night sweats had been noted
for one month.
On examination, the child ap-
peard undernour.shcd and was 10
per cent underweight. Chest ex.
animation was entirely. negative
A tuberculin patch test, however,
was positive and an H-ray of the
chest was taken. This revealed
pulmonary tuberculosis Of the
childhood type.
The child was sent 10 a sana-
forum. where she improved al
most at once and was discharged
at the end Of 10 months. She had
gained II pounds in weight"
Test at School Age
The nope OF eradica;ing tuber-
culosiS lies IN its detection in chill
dren Of school age. We know that
tuberculosis always begins in
childhood We further know that
it ia cured most easily and GER
tainly by treating it in the school
age period. The ideal thing is for
every school child all over the
country, at about the .ge Of eight
whether there are symptoms Of
tuberculosis or MOTTO have a
patch test with tuberculin and il
this ia positive, to follow it up
with a more complete examination.
In many communities this Is being
done; it should be universal.
90. The patch test is performed by
applying to the clean skin an ad-
hesive plaster so constructed that
it holds tightly against the skin a
given amount Of matter prepared
from tuberculin.
Tuberculin is a product Of the
activity of the growth Of the germ
Of tuberculosis, but diluted and
given in this fashion it has never
done anyone any harm. Formerly
with children tuberculin was used
by scratching the skin and apply
ing the tubelcuiin 20 the scratch.
II has been found, however, that
the unbroken skin gives a reaction
in this fashion which is just as
reliable as the scratch test.
Indicates Presence of Disease
Forty-eight hours after the
patch Is put on, the adhesive
plaster is removed and if the skin
is red and swollen at the place
where the tu5erculin was in con-
tact, it indicates that there is a
possibility of active tuberculosis.
The tuberculosis may be quiescent
OF healed-which is the question to
be determined by further examin-
alton with the x-ray and other
means. The test is of little value
after the age Of Is because nearly
everybody has had some tuber-
culosis by that time.
DR.. Wassersug states the fol-
lowing as the modern conception
Of tuberculosis:
81. Insist that the milk you
drink be pasteurized and obtained
from interchangeable cows.
2. Demand that individuals who
have tubercle germs in their spu-
tum be hospitalized or segregated
in a sanatorium.
8. Persons engaged in the ham
ding Of children - school-teach-
ers, domestics and nurse-should
have at least one chest x-ray.
4. Children should have a tuber-
cuhn test at some time between
the ages Of II and IS.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
B. M:-Exactly how serious is
systolic murmur and is it cause
for army rejection?
Answer: There are all kinds Of
systOlic heart murnurs Of all
grades Of seriousness. In general,
it maybe said that a systolic MUIR
mur at the apex Of the heart in
late childhood and early adult life
is probably rot very serious in so
far as It contains any threat to
life OF activity. In my opinion,
however, all cases Of systolic
heart murmur should be rejected
FOR the Army because nobody
knows how much disability they
viii cause under conditions Of ex-
treme strain and stress.
war developments