Flax-Dust Byssinosis and Chronic Non-Tuberculous Chest Disease in Belfast

If is an appropriate time to review chronic non-tuberculous chest disease (C.N.T.C.D.). This is now one of the most important medical diseases. It is extremely common. The disability is often gross. The mortality is heavy. It can now be observed without the confusion of co-existing phthisis and without its course being cut short by broncho-pneumonia. The old background of poverty and malnutrition has almost vanished. The industrial background is better understood. Above all, the old concept of "chronic bronchitis" is yielding to a healthy willingness to admit ignorance of the causation of some of these syndromes. It is assumed throughout this discussion that primary chronic bacterial bronchitis does not exist or is very rare. It is important too that bronchiectasis, which was so long considered of numerical importance, is now seen to make a very small contribution to the numbers of C.N.T.C.D. On the other hand, it is easy to recognise a group of C.N.T.C.D., of special interest to Ulster physicians, due to prolonged inhalation of flax dust. This condition has clinical features hardly to be distinguished from cotton-dust byssinosis and is best called flax byssinosis.