The Problem of Tuberculosis in the Average Community

¹ Superintendent and Associate Medical Director, Hamilton County Tuberculosis Hospital (a sub-department of the Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati), John Skavlem, M.D., Medical Director, Cincinnati, Ohio

Tuberculosis affects every man, woman and child in the community from a medical, public health, or economic standpoint.

It is very probable that the following conditions exist today in any community where tuberculosis is not definitely under control:

1) The problem of tuberculosis is not fully appreciated by either the medical profession or the general public.

2) There is a serious lack of effective cooperation and coordination of all agencies dealing with this problem.

3) To bring tuberculosis under control, more money must be spent now in order to save money in later years.

According to Dr. H. I. Spector, some of the obstacles in the control of tuberculosis are:

1) A shortage of hospital beds.

2) Late diagnosis.

3) The low financial status of the patient in numberless instances and his unwillingness to stop work.

4) The inability on the part of the general practitioner to recognize the disease in its early stage.

5) Our failure to rehabilitate the arrested case economically.

The four major activities in any campaign against tuberculosis are: Education, Diagnosis, Treatment and Rehabilitation.

The public must be constantly and increasingly educated as to the dangers and contagiousness of tuberculosis. Physicians and public officials must be educated as to the part they can play in the control of the disease.

We should strive for earlier diagnoses and immediate hospitalization.

Rehabilitation, along with education, has been sadly neglected. On this question, our facilities are shamefully inadequate.

Tuberculosis can be eradicated. However, it calls for a sizeable expenditure and herein lies our greatest handicap.

Education with regulation, if necessary, offers our best approach in tuberculosis control. Indifference, not opposition, is the greatest enemy of progress.