A tuberculosis survey of a rural mountain county.

This is to report the problems encountered in and the results of a survey which was conducted in a rural mountain county. Calaveras County lies on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains between 1500 ft. and 4000 ft. elevation, and is almost 125 miles directly east of San Francisco. The principal means of livelihood are mining, timber, cattle raising, and cement manufacture. The county has lost some of its residents because of the wan. The only increase in population has been in the lumbering communities. The population of towns D and F show the greatest influx. The towns of E and G are the principal mining communities (See Table 1). The portable fluoroscope, supplied by the California Tuberculosis Association, was used. This was shipped to town “A” by nail from where it was transported by truck and set up in the other six communities, C, B, D, E, F, and G. It was necessary to assemble and dismantle the fluoroscope a total of seven times. This presented a problem in itself as the machine and equipment weighed a total of 1800 lbs. However, through the willingness and cooperation of the residents, this job and the job of transportation were efficiently accomplished without cost Data: The population of the county according to the 1940 census was 8221. A total of 993 persons were fluonoscoped. This is 12 per cent of the county population. Table 1 shows the towns where the examinations were conducted. The percentage of persons fluonoscoped varies between 16 per cent and 24 per cent of the towns’ populations. Of course, many fluoroscoped in the towns live in rural communities or on ranches. However, the percentage did not vary appreciably from town to town. Also the numbers of x-rays advised were about equally distributed In relation to the population of the respective towns. About 78 pen cent of those who had suspected chest path-