TUBERCULAR DISEASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17258, 6 September 1919, Page 10

TUBERCULAR DISEASE.

RELATION TO THE EPIDEMIC.

SUGGESTION DISCUSSED.

VIEWS OF DR. MAKGILL.

Tht) question of a possible relation between the influenza epidemic and tuber? culai' disease has been raised in Sydney. The Sydney correspondent of tine New Zeaujsu KB.AT.ttj writing on August 21, stated :—

"It has been suggested that tubercular disease has gained ground here— say seriously consequence of the influenza epidemic. The subject is being discussed by medical authorities, and, as usual, they ' differ; A medical officer of the New South Wales Health Department asserts that will re there is no doubt that 1 in isolated instances tuberculosis has, as a result of iriflueriza, been given a fresh start, there has been no marked increase in the number of tubercular cases. He admits, however, that so far no investigations of a special character have been made, and that there is very little data to go upon. _ ' On the other hand, the honorary physician of the Sydney Tuberculosis Dyspen- - ■ s&ry, who - : is* acknowledged as a leading authority on consumption, says unhesitatV" ingly that' iMutnza has " lit tip" a great many eases'of latent tuberculosis.- '"Tn- " bercuktsis is a very-insidious disease," he ' said recently. "It will lie in wait in the .? ' system in a-' non-developed condition for years until the advent of some such ' bodily upheaval ®s the recent epidemic arrives, when it will seize upoia the weakened lung tissues and spread. The people * - 'of the -Mauds, * which were so seriously •<>;>. affected : by the epidemic, are very prone to tubercular complaints, and in view of the opinion expressed investigations there - - Mem ! to be necessary." . The suggestion that tuberculosis has in- ~ creasitd. as a, result of the influenza epidemic .was ..referred yesterday to th«i act-ing-chief health officer, Dr. R. H. Ma&gill, for his opinion. ' -He said that * probably the epidemic of last year Ibid tended to * hasten the development of latent cases of ' f tuberculosis," and had compelled ■ patients ' -• - to M«k medical advice 'earlier than they • • might otherwise have done. It was, per- ;» " bapa, rathe? too soon to judge as to whether tuberculosa had gained ground as a -; tejmlftrof the epidemic. The latent disease might not develop until many months v after an attack of influenza, and thai effect -«•. of the- epidemic on potential tubercular '' "■ cases might net become apparent until ,• snore .than sis months hare elapsed. The . ; r second six months might, perhaps, be mere, indicative as to whether tuberculosis - had - gained around. . , * Dr. Makgifi stated that for the nrafc six .u niojjitlis 61 1918 the number of cases of tuberculosis notified to the. Auckland dis- -. tract, health officer was 143. The number . for. the, first six months of the present j *; ****&.% During the first six months;, - of J918,, canes of tuberculosis were v- notified * tjie whole Dominion, an j average of,, jnst over 21 each week. The I » number,, Jfer the first six months of 1819! , of just over 18 each a-. -Hte for the larger number . .fans that at that time the were engaged in ex- >., awning of military age to secure , f recruits for'attivo service. Incipient cases ol tuberculous were thus recorded en bloc,, as, it were, and were notified to the Public Health authorities. Now that the medical boards were" no longer engaged in this , "wotS the 'game condition of things did not arise. In normal times notifications of tuberculosis always fluctuated. One other important post-epidemic feature was mentiowsd by Dr. Makgill and also by Dr.; Monk. They stated that some persons who had suffered from influenza had gone back to work ; 100 soon. Soma had developed cardiac weakness or ameraic tendencies, and were greatly reduced in vigour. These constituted a far more serious problem thar. the number who had had pulmonary weakness, accentuated as a result of influenza. Too much care could not be taken in of this kind, because guch_ persons were easy victims to pneumonia and allied diseases. Children had been similarly affected.