The Problem of the Chronic Pulmonary Tuberculosis in the Epidemic View

Author’s address: Dr. A. Ott, Kantonsarzt, Schöngrünstrasse 14, 4500 Solothurn (Switzerland) Summary In the first part of his report, the author tries to analyse, from the epidemic view, the complex problem of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis, making use of statistical findings of mortality, morbidity and the latent infections. As a primary phenomenon, the man over 45 years today shows a striking susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis with a chronic course and long lasting infectivity. A secondary appearance is the more frequent torpid course of the tuberculosis in younger adults, due to an insufficient medi-camental treatment. The present death rate of tuberculosis shows in its (theoretical) course, a contrary trend compared with the days of conservative sanatorial treatment and the era of collapse therapy. That means that, compared with former decades, the graph rises slowly towards the higher age groups but with a lower peak.