Smyrna times., 1946-04-04
TRAVELLING
X-RAY ROOM
Travelling Health Unit Com
missiOned by Governor
Walter Bacon
RECORDING CAMERA

IA lOu6 Stdilhui6 hiSo4 ~ e@~
State Board of Health became q
reality last week when the Boards
first travelling health unit was
commissioned by Governor Walter
Bacon and started out on its mis-
sion of health. The mobile unit is
a 81 foot long bus-type vehicle
which will bring microscopic ex-
animation for tuberculosis to the
doorstep of thousands throughout
the state. Taking part in the cere-
monies last week in front of Legis-
lative Hall in Dover were DR.. j. d.
Niles, president of the Board, and
DR.. Edwin Cameron, executive Sec
retary.
Unit Cost S17,8S0
The acquiring of the travelling
X-ray room, which cost $17,880,
was made possible through a grant
of money from the U. S. Public
Health Service. Delaware's share
of federal tuberculosis funds for
the year is $46,432 and is part of
the national postwar program for
tuberculosis control. DR.. Niles
states that much of this sum will
be used to increase the "TB" dag
nostic facilities, including the aug
menting of the staff to carry on
the work. He points out that the
need for such facilities is great
since tuberculosis comes 7th in
causes of death in death in Della
ware, with 102 persons dying from
the disease during 1915 and re-
ports show 1,055 active cases in
the state now.
Federal Funds
The order for the travelling 'TB"
unit was placed nearly a year ago,
as soon as it was known that fed
eral funds would be available, but
it was not until now that the spec
ial truck body, built like a deluxe
trailer, except that it has its own
motor, was completed and the
highly technical equipment Install
ed. This equipment includes re-
cording camera which will take
pictures of the microscopic or X
ray image of the patients chest as
it is reflected on the screen. When
the films are developed they will
be sent to DR.. l.. D. Phillips, head
of the Boards Brandywine Tuber-
culosis Sanatorium to be read.
When PERSONS chest shows any
indication of tuberculosis in the
small horoscope photograph, he or
she will be urged to go to Brandy
wine for a more thorough exam
ination.
To Cover State
DR.. Cameron states that the
"TB" x-ray unit will travel the
length and breadth of the state in
an effort to locate cases of tuber-
culosis and bring them to treat
ment, since discovery of the dis
ease in it's early stages, and
prompt care often leads to the re-
covery of the tuberculosis patient.
The State Board of Health has
secured David B. Foresman to be
in charge of the mobile "TB' unit
and take the microscopic photo
graphs. He has had special train
ing in x-ray and laboratory work
at the Franklin School of Arts and
Science in Philadelphia and 5
years experience at the Hunting
ton, West Virginia, 1000 bed State
Hospital, where he took many
chest X-rays. He has just been
discharged from the Army after B
years service attached to the Med
ical Section of Headquarters of the
18th Port Transportation Corps.
For several years the State Board
of Health has maintained fluoro-
scopes in the Wilmington Health
Center, at the Kent County Health
Unit in Dover, at the Sussex Coun-
ty Health Unit in Georgetown, in
Laurel, and of course, at the
Brandywine Sanatorium. Many
persons have attended the Boards
tuberculosis clinics and have been
fuoroscoped at these places. How
ever, DR.. Cameron points out that
there are far greater number OF
people to whom these stationary
units are not accessible condi-
ton which the travelling unit will
rectify. as at can be driven from
town to school to factory as
needed.