Evening star., 1950-04-27
Health Officials Here
Plan MuIti-Screeninq
Tests for Diseases
BY George Beveridee

DlStrlct nealth OTnclalS are
making plans for the city's first
medical "multiphasic screening
projects, it was learned today.
"Multiphasic screening" the
latest thing in early detection of
disease, is sort of medical assem-
bly, line, which permits testing
for tuberculosis, heart and blood
diseases, diabetes, syphilis, vision
and hearing defects and other
ailments-all In matter of
minutes.
DR.. A. L. Chapman, chronic
disease chief of the Public Health
Service, said the multi-screening
projects must meet three needs.
Each test assembled in the line
must be done within three minutes,
each must give good results for
a specific ailment and each must
be cheap.
Assembly Lines.
Meeting these requirements,
such project could test 10 diff
ferent people for 10 different all
ments in half an hour, and wrap
up at one time many of the sep
arate public detection tests now
proposed.
Describing pioneer assembly
lines" already set up in several
cities, DR.. Chapman told doctors
at the National tuberculosis AS
sociation's annual conference in
the Hotel Statler that two projects
are planned here
He said Health Officer Daniel L.
Seckinger hopes to install one
program at Gallinger Hospital,
where an average of 1856 patients
a day are admitted for hospital
or clinic care.
Such a program could prove
to be a very valuable pilot study
to determine the role of multiple
screening in hospital patients"
DR.. Chapman declared.
Trailer Unit for Tests.
DIR. Seckinger," he added, "also
has, in the drawing board stage,
plans for a trailer unit designed
to do the many tests He plans
to use such a trailer, if it becomes
available, for the examination Of
food handlers and workers"
DR.. Seckinger said several pre-
liminary conferences have been
held and that he plans soon to
submit plans to the Commissioners
for consideration. Officials hope
to get financial help, especially for
the trailer, from the Public Health
Service.
The District. the health officer
added, is doing only about "one-
third of the job we should do" in
examination of food workers. The
aSsembly-line technique probably
would meet the need, he said.
Paper Read at Meeting.
In his paper at the tuberculosis
meeting. DR.. Chapman estimated
the multi i-tests would turn up more
than 900 cases disease or defects
in every 1000 people examined.
Many of the people would have
more than one defect.
The health official stressed that
the screening tests, conducted by
technicians, would turn up only
warming signs of disease. In each
case, he said, people with positive
tests should be referred to their
private doctors for definite dag
nosis and treatment.
DR.. Chapman said American
people are enjoying good health" )"
but that there is every reason to
believe that, by multiple screening
methods, literally millions of
people can be made aware of hid
den or latent chronic illnesses and
physical defects much sooner than
happens today"
Cancer Not Included.
He said cancer is not included
yet in diseases to be tested. but
that it will be when better screen
ing tests are developed.
One of the largest projects
started so far is in Richmond. DR..
Chapman said. Another, in At
lanta, will attempt to screen 80
per cent of the adult population.
The tuberculosis scientific ses-
sion today also heard discussions
of surgical treatment of the di-
sease, with afternoon sessions to
be devoted to mass chest X-ray
surveys.
At meetings yesterday, authori-
ties stressed the Importance of
careful diagnosis to make certain
cancer of the lung is not mistaken
for fY1herclIlociS