Recent Advances in Social Medicine

T-io niurses repeatedly negative to MantouX 1/100) isolated fromi tuberCulous wards for prc-vaccinial period and(fouLnd Mantoux 1/1((positive at pre-vaccinal test. No X-ray lesion, or disturbance in health in either case. 'l'he response to the B (C (G calpaigni hlas b)een very gratifying allnd in addition to coIitact cases, there have hecn numerous enquiries from institutions, factories anid schools. It would seem that expanlsion of the programme wkill be limitedl only by our powers to expand. Two developments most urgently required are increased X-ray facilities and isolation for contacts of active cases (luring the vaccination period. TShe technique of vaccination (loes niot presenlt any obstacle, but I thinki judgement is requiredl in (leciding whom to vaccinate and when to vaccinate them. Moreover, it must always be borne in mind by B C G enthusiasts, that vaccination against tuberculosis is a good servant and a bad master, and that unless the people who are vaccinated are assure(d that it is only one small factor in the preventive campaign against tuberculosis, it miay do more lharmii than good, b1 engrendering in tuberculous families a feeling of false security. Titis book is a welcome addition to Churchill's wvell-known Recent Advances Series. In its 238 pages it deals in nine chapters with "a small group of subjects wvhich appear to be of importance." The first chapter, on "Measurement of Grovth in Children," is a serious attempt to present briefly some aspects of anthropometry, and to assess to what extent the formula of Tuxford and others can be used to add or to check clinical findings. Tlhe author concludes that "no satisfactory method has been devised whereby states of nutrition can be assessed by anthropometry." In this chapter the meaning of the text is not always clear, e.g., on page 13 it is stated that, according to Tuxford, wveight/height ratios increase by age roughly in harmonical progression;. a few lines later we are told that height/weight ratios appear to advance in harmonical progression. A quarter of the book, in two chapters, is devoted to the subject of infant mortality. A careful study of these chapters will well repay the student or the practitioner, and they can be commended in particular to the general practitioner. Indeed, the author has taken a great deal of trouble to collect muich useful information and to present it in an attractive form. T hen follow chapters on day nurseries , the …