[Tuberculosis in the Swiss Army during World War II, results of army mass chest x-ray 1943/44--a valuable historical reminiscence].

Army mass X-ray fluoroscopic screening (ARD) included the group of service personnel performing its military service in the Swiss army in the years 1943/44. ARD was at that time regarded as a measure targeted against tuberculosis, and was ordered by the Chief of the General Staff, at the request of the Head of the Army Medical Service. A total of 516,879 conscripts were examined. Of these--corresponding to the structure of the army--the infantry with 265,640 conscripts made up 51.4% of those examined in this way. As a result a total of 967 cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis were discovered and recorded in the army. This total was made up of 395 so-called active-open and 572 active-closed cases. Inactive pulmonary tuberculosis of the lungs occurred in 1,642 conscripts. The total number of 967 carriers of an active pulmonary tuberculosis corresponded--when converted--to an incidence of 187/100,000 persons. The 6,186 cases of hardened primary complexes, further multiple hardenings in the lung and pleuritic adhesions, probably mostly of tuberculous origin at that time, recorded in addition during the mass screening may also be regarded as evidence of a considerable "epidemic resistance" among military personnel. In comparison to foreign European armies--though with smaller numbers examined--the Swiss figures are lower.