Pulmonary Tuberculosis after Subtotal Gastrectomy

IN a large tuberculosis hospital (615 beds) I have been impressed by the number of patients who have been admitted in the last few years with active pulmonary tuberculosis after subtotal gastrectomy for peptic ulcer. One of the chief factors leading to this chronic infection is lack of resistance. Starvation, faulty assimilation of ingested food, metabolic imbalance, long-continued stress and poor hygienic surroundings seem to favor the development of tuberculosis. When, as clinical director of the United States Navy Hospital Ship, Benevolence, it was my privilege to assist in screening 1500 recently liberated prisoners of war in Japan at the . . .