23 Positive TB Tests at High School-June 26, 1974

Health Agent Bartley King Outlines Norfolk County Hospital X-Ray Screening Protocol Following Custodian Case

Health Agent Bartley J. King reported yesterday that 23 out of 453 graduated high school seniors and high school staff members tested last week for tuberculosis have been diagnosed as positive

Of those individuals presenting positive results, Bartley J. King clarified that 18 were adults and 5 were students. He emphasized to the public that a positive result on the preliminary skin tests does not definitely mean a person has active tuberculosis, noting that three of the five positive students had already been diagnosed as positive during previous routine medical testings.

The mass screening program was swiftly established by the board of health following the discovery on May 24 that an unidentified custodian at Norwood High School apparently had contracted the disease. In a bizarre medical twist, separate follow-up tests conducted on the custodian last week at the Norfolk County Hospital came back negative. Bartley J. King stated he has not yet received a conclusive, final report on the custodian’s status from the hospital administrators. In the meantime, formal appointments have been locked in for all 23 individuals diagnosed as positive to undergo advanced chest X-ray evaluations at the Norfolk County Hospital beginning July 5. High school seniors were originally notified by mail on June 13 to report to the clinic, and the health department plans no further attempts to track down the remaining 50 or so untested seniors. Bartley J. King explained that many of the graduates heading to college have already been cleared by their private family physicians, though free tests will continue to be conducted daily at the board of health office from 1:30 to 3 p.m. for any unchecked residents.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger