The treatment of tuberculous pleurisy.

The object of treatment in tuberculous pleurisy is to shorten the acute phase of the illness, to restore the integrity of the pleura, and, above all, to prevent further manifestations of tuberculosis. Rest, chemotherapy, and aspiration are each supposed to achieve some of these aims, but their relative importance has not been established. The value of rest was stressed by Roper and Waring (1955), chemotherapy received particular attention from Emerson (1955) and from Falk and Stead (1956), while Mackay-Dick and Rothnie (1954) dealt mainly with the results of early aspiration. These three components of treatment were subjected to a controlled trial at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup. The results to be presented are based on the progress of 169 patients treated during 1952-4 and kept under observation for two years.