A study was conducted in 55 randomly selected villages of Nelamangala taluk, Bangalore district in 1975 (1) to estimate the prevalence of symptoms in the general population during the two months prior to the epidemiological survey, (2) to study the nature of action taken by these symptomatics and, (3) to find out through sputum examination as to how many of them suffer from pulmonary tuberculosis. The entire population was interviewed and sputum was collected from those aged five years and above having symptoms continuously for seven days and more. A coverage of 98.8% was obtained. Symptomatics among the directly interviewed were almost double (32.3%) of those who had to be interviewed by proxy (16.8%). Proportion of symptomatics were higher in the age groups twenty years and above. 24.8% were symptomatic during the reference period of two months and 16.7% had symptoms on the day of interview. ll.1% were found to have chest symptoms. The prevalence rate of tuberculosis was found to be 21 per 1000, (for males 28 and females 14). Cough was the most prevalent and the symptom of longest duration.

The findings suggest that symptoms questioning should focus more on cough and its combination with other symptoms. Symptoms questioning as a tool to detect cases has less potential than X-ray, but data reveal that leading questions can elicit more information on symptoms and action taking. The manner of action taking was the same for chest symptoms as for other symptoms and the proportion taking action is also the same for males and females. Government health facilities are found to be the most important source of relief, indigenous medicine having some importance marked second and the private practitioners ranking only third.