Tuberculosis (Third Edition) 1955

[Music] every year in America there are more than 100,000 new cases of tuberculosis of all infectious diseases tuberculosis is still the greatest killer this film on tuberculos present aspects of its diagnosis treatment and control [Music] in spite of the progress of preventive medicine in spite of public health programs on Community State and National level tuberculosis still attacks almost as many American americ an today as 10 years ago although the number of deaths from tuberculosis has been gradually falling off why for one thing industrialization has spread faster than industrial health programs in some occupations there Remains the hazard of infection poverty and ignorance whether in back country or in city slums contribute to the spread of tuberculosis ignorance or negligence as in this case or in this case and then there are Wars the greatest spreaders of tuberculosis the work of scientists alone cannot eliminate the deadly bacteria that caused tuberculosis it takes Community Action in the city where Mary Smith attends High School tuberculin tests are given to all pupils 2 Days Later the results are checked the tuberculum Test shows that this apparently healthy boy is infected Mar arm shows no reaction however her test indicates that she has not been infected with tuberculosis soon afterwards Mary's Aunt comes to live with her she seems run down and needs a rest actually she has a well Advanced case of tuberculosis through sneezing coughing and direct touch Mary may have been infected often basil of tuberculosis are breathed in by their victim they pass through nose and mouth into the trachea and on through the smaller passages deeper and deeper into the lung at their ends in the deepest recesses of the lungs the bronch ey Branch out into very small bronchioles which contain air sacks whose walls are principally tiny blood vessels the tubercle basill at once attract disease fighting cells which begin to surround and envelop the germs many of the cells however are killed by the basili then larger body defense cells come to the Rescue by swallowing up smaller cells and the basili they contain within a few hours some air sacks have been filled with masses of these cells which hold in most of the basili and and prevent their further spread at the end of a few weeks the basili although they may have multiplied for a Time Are Walled off temporarily or as rather commonly happens they may have been carried through lymph vessels to bronchial lymph nodes there they may have been similarly walled off this may have been the case of Mary Smith who by now has finished high school she has a job and is working working hard hard playing hard making every effort to keep slender she's having too little to eat she's getting too little rest and too much excitement her vitality and body resistance have become lowered and tuberculosis reinfection has commenced reinfection may come from outside from tubal basili carried from the air into the lungs or it may come from spreading of a primary infection either by the breakdown of the primary pulmonary Focus or of a lymph node Focus either directly into the lung or in a roundabout way through the bloodstream or finally into the bronchial tubes with discharge of germs into other parts of the lung and formation of a new diseased area although at any time healing May again take place the diseased part May grow and spread forming a larger and larger cavity the first of this series of x-rays shows a small dark appearing cavity in the second the dark- shaped area has grown noticeably larger and here it has reached the advanced stage of chronic ulcerative pulmonary tuberculosis for several months Mary has tired easily and she's been losing weight steadily and she coughs very often all this begins to worry her and she finally decides to make an appointment with her physician Mary's doctor soon detects signs that indicate tuberculosis He suggests that she go to a tuberculosis clinic for further examination she takes a sample of sputum to the clinic then she is given another tuberculum test among other checkups an x-ray picture of her lungs is made x-rays are one of our best means of getting evidence when infection is present the report of the clinic goes back to Mary's physician he explains to Mary the findings of the clinic then he points out that x-rays show tuberculosis in her upper right lung the doctor tries not to alarm Mary however he makes it clear that she will have to submit to a long treatment a treatment that will take her away from home to a tuberculosis hospital where she will get proper medicine proper food rest and possible surgery under the care of nurses and doctors Mary is undergoing the standard treatment she is being trained in sanitary procedures like using coverings when she coughs and disposing of them into a receptacle which will be burned fortunately Mary is able to take an adequate amount of nourishment milk citrus fruit juices meat potatoes and vegetables proper food not only gives her the necessary body fuel but materials which will heal the injured Parts repair is a slow process but proper medicine good food and rest will work wonders even in the advanced stage of tuberculosis as in the case of the ant a number of different surgical procedures can be used either to help the long rest or to remove the damaged portion of the lung new drugs are constantly being developed to Aid in the recovery of the patient but even after the rest and building up of strength in the hospital Mary passes through a long stage of convalescence at home in an organized effort to help patients like mary public and private hospitals have been built all over the country mobile units like this one for schools for communities or for large factories regular checkups by a position help discover infection before it spreads we have mobilized against tuberculosis all the resources of modern science we are constantly building better and more efficient tools but only by checking an ever increasing number of citizens by going after tuberculosis before the disease spreads can tuberculosis be conquered only if we fight it on a nationwide front can we achieve a lasting control over [Music] [Applause] tuberculosis