Progress in the control of tuberculosis in britain during the past 70 years

Summary

Effective measures in the control of tuberculosis by local authorities only started to take shape with the introduction of compulsory notification 30 years after the discovery of the tubercle bacillus. Further statutory regulations and amendments helped local authorities to deal with the individual case; loopholes, however, in the legislation still remain which hinder the medical officer’s task to control effectively the spread of the disease. The introduction of the National Health Service led to a split in the administration and impaired the success of the campaign against tuberculosis. Tuberculin testing in Infant Welfare Centres and schools and mass radiography of adolescents and adults help to detect tuberculinsensitive individuals and to discover any lesions in the lungs. The low percentage of positive reactors to tuberculin raises the question of B.C.G. vaccination at least at school-leaving age.