After almost hitting Johnny Walsh with her automobile, public health nurse Linda Thorpe is introduced to the child by a local storekeeper. Linda recognizes Johnny as a newcomer to the area and, after hearing that his mother is pregnant, takes the opportunity to meet the family. During the visit, Linda persuades Johnny's mother, Mary, to see a physician for a prenatal check-up, during which a chest x-ray reveals she has an "unsuspected" case of tuberculosis. The film highlights the importance of routine x-ray screening to identify the disease, since early-stage TB may present no symptoms. Remaining unaware of the disease until it was well advanced reduced the chances of successful treatment and increased the possibility the person might infect others. In the National Tuberculosis Association's view, the only person who could identify the disease was a recognized physician, thus its educational efforts encouraged the public to go for regular checkups, including chest x-rays, and urged that those identified with TB be isolated in a hospital, where they might receive rest, nutritious food, and the care of skilled physicians and nurses. Mary's case confirms the value of such a procedure. In this film, Mary gives birth to a healthy baby boy, and returns home after her successful rest cure. The movie ends with Linda Thorpe leaving the Walsh family reunion on her continuing mission to protect the public health. Learn more about this film and search its transcript at NLM Digital Collections: http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/8800148A Learn more about the National Library of Medicine's historical audiovisuals program at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/collections/films.html
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