Health News Volume 24; Monthly Bulletin [Of The] New York State Dept. of Health (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 Excerpt: ...the child gradually develops all the stigmata of the phthisical type, when in the latter part of second decade, or between 20 or 30 years of age, the disease is present in all its manifestations. Drs Miller and Woodruff reported on 150 children whose parents were under treatment for tuberculosis at the Bellevue Hospital Tuberculosis Clinic. Very few of these children were brought by their parents because they seemed ill, and very few had symptoms which were marked enough to attract the attention of their parents. The examinations were made as a routine procedure to find out how many children living in close contact with parents who had advanced tuberculosis would be found to have evidence of disease themselves. Their ages varied from 2 to 15 years with an average age of 8y2 years. It was found that a positive diagnosis of tuberculosis could be made in 76 children or 51 per cent. of all examined. Forty-three children or 29 per cent. were considered not tuberculous, and in 31 children or 20 per cent. the diagnosis was doubtful. It would thus appear from this limited number of cases that approximately one-half of the children of tuberculous parents, living in the tenements at least, probably have tuberculosis themselves. It was, however, found that the diagnosis was very difficult, and the evidences of disease very slight; and it seemed probable that in the majority of cases with ordinary care the disease would become cured of itself or else be held in check to break out perhaps in later life. The results are very significant in suggesting the possibility of infection during childhood being the cause of many cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. Drs Floyd and Bowditch, of Boston, said that as part of the work carried on at the Boston Consumptives' Hospital during t...