VENEREAL DISEASE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVII, Issue 9110, 4 October 1917, Page 4

VENEREAL DISEASE.

A COMPREHENSIVE BILL.

DRASTIC PROVISIONS

' WELLINGTON, Oct. 3. *\ . Far-reachingl proposals dealing witfcW* venereal. disease aro contuined in. they .. Social Hygienic Bill;, which was intro-. , duced by the Hon. G. W. Russell in the House of Representatives to-day, and passed its first reading. - j The BilL proposes to establish a \ Board of Social Hygiene,. consisting of • i the Chief Health Officer, the DeputyChief Health Officer, one medical practitioner of each, sex, and one otherperson of each sex. not a medical practitioner. With the exception of the Chief Health Officer and the DeputyChief Health Officer, the members of - the board are to be appointed .by _ the Governor-General-in-Council, the term of office being three years. The .Minister of Public Health may for the purposes of the Act constitute and establish such local advisory boards, not exceeding four, as he may think necessary, with such distinctive, names as he thinks fit. Such local boards are to consist of a district . health officer (who will be chairman), and of .three other persons of each-sex not being medical practitioners. . .".,

Women of 111-Fame, - If the Minister of Health has reason to believe, on the report of th« Chief Health Officer and on such other evidence (if any) as he deems sufficient, that any person being.a prostitute or reputed prostitute, or a person habitually consorting with prostitutes, is suffering from any venereal disease, and that there is a danger of siiqHjßb disease being communicated to arryV^P^ other person or persons,, he may, by W£writing under his hand, refer the "". matter to a local advisory board for consideration and report, with a view to the detention under the Act of the person suffering as aforesaid, if such detention is considered advisable in the interests of public health. It shall thereupon be the duty of the local board to whom the reference is made, forthwith to make all requisite enquiries and to make such recommendations in the premises as' it thinks fit with respect to the exercise hy the Minister of the powers conferred oti him by this Act.. . -

Any person in res-poet of whom such enquiry is beiTig maJo may by direction of the local l>oard bo personally examined by :i medical practitioner, to • • be nominated in that behalf by that board, and every person who, being.' required to submit himself for examination, wilfully fjiils to do so, shall be liable to a. fine of £100 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six : months. If in any case a. local board reports . , to the Minister that as the result of ; any investigation conducted by it it-, is* satisfied that-Tiny person is a prostitute ; or a reputed prostitute or habitually ; consorts with prostitutes, and"*'that I 1 such person is suffering from a .vene- •. '• real disease and,is a source of danger. ' to the public health, the Minister may , ' apply to «t Magistrate for an- order . , i' directing that such' person be com-., „ ' - mitted to a prison hospital' established " iunder the, proposed Act. ' ',■ „'«': The * Magistrate, after . consi&uiM^' |« the application in Chambers, nr^^MLV'' satisfied as to the evidence, o'^^^K'r' order fpr the detention of such pt>»%to^^^! in a. prison hospital for a period no exceeding six months.'. The application 1"' i must, ■ however, be supported .by the , certificate of not less than two .jegis- , itered medical practitioners. > . Convicted Prisoners. Where the surgeon, of a prisonl or a-' police .surgeon certifies in writing tothe Minister of Justice., that a con--victed person detained iri a prison or police gaol is*, suffering from any venereal disease, . such . prisoner may be \ brought before a Magistrate in. Chambers, and oh proof that such person; is so y suffering, the Magistrate may order r- • that he be detained in a prison K6s- ■; pita! nntil discharged therefrom. The period of such detention, shall run concurrently with, but may exceed', the- 1 , i term of imprisonment to which the- 1 prisoner has been sentenced. ' If any person suffering from a venereal . disease' is desirous of being re-, 1 ceived into a prison hospital undor the Act he may make nnrilirabion in person to a Stipendiary Masjistrnt" far an . ' order of detention, and the Magistrate may malio such order for any-period-not less than six months. V Medical Examination. Medical examination of women, and girls is to be made' by medical prac- i titioners-of cthe same, sex, iinles6 the> ■ :\' ' woman; 1 or girl, to be examined expressly .requests otherwise. '•"" %.; . ■ '~ ,„ ■; , The"Goyernor-General may by pro-"' t r^ clamation .establish* prison'hospitals. ' -' \[\ Provision -is made for the discharge ' J.\ of patients when cured or when they ' cease to bo a source.of danger to the public health. Power is given to the Minister " of-v . Public Health to discharge, transfojL'-J^' or release on probation any person i"o\n»V fined in a prison hospital." vtrvf-' Compulsory Consultation.

Every person suffering Jiiom -any venereal diaoa.se, or who has reason to bolieve that ho is suffering i'rom any such disease, shall forthwith' consult a registered medical - practitioner with 1 respect thereto,^ and shall placo' himself under treatment by that medical practitioner,.or by some, other registered medical practitioner, or shall, as and when required so to do,.attend for treatment at "any hospital ■• or, other place available for the treatment •of , venereal disease. ■ Evory person undergoing treatment , for any' venereal disease.fiiiaU s -^raless and until he has "received a J 'certificate^ ,£hat he has^beeu cur'e'd-of euch'Uiseasiv] I or that he is free from sucli disease in, I a communicable'toi'm; continue-to-^sub-' j mit, himself .'to such .treatment. . ir ■'- ! 'Every person suffering from anysucKdisease shall, until he has received aoortificat« as' aforesaid, peisonally attend or cause himself, to be attended 1 by a medical practitioner for,the pur- | pose of examination, or shall for that ! purpose personally attend at a. hospi- , h\-l or other place available for the , treatment of venereal disease, at such intervals as may be prescribed, not exceeding in any case an interval of four weeks. For a breach of any of thesp provisions a fine of £20 may be imposed. Every medical practitioner who atf* tends or advisos any patient for, or in j respect of, any venereal disease from which the patient ie suffering, shall, by written notice in the prescribed form delivered to the patient— (a) Direct the attention of the patient to the infectious character of ' thf* disease, and io the penalties proscribed by this Act for infecting any other per- , son with such disease. j (b) Warn the patient acainst con- ,' tracting any marriage unless siTid un- |- til he ha 3 received a certificate; j

'and • „ j (c) Give to the,patient such printed information relating to the treatment of venereal disease, and to the duties of persons suffering from such disease, as may be issued by the directions of the Minister of Public Health. Tfiverv medical practitioner who commits a "breach of this section shall be liable to a tine not exceeding i'o. X " Any parents, guardians, or other perv'l sons 'in i-harge of a rhild suffering from venereal disease are required by the Aot lo cause such child to be treated by a registered medical practitioner. Handling Foodstuffs. Under the Bill is is an 'offence for any person suffering from venereal disease in a communicable forni to be engaged in any capacity requiring him to handle food intended for consumption, and the person guilty is liable to a term of imprisonment ■ not exceding one year, or a fine not exceeding £100. ' . . Any employer of. such person is liable ■to a tine of not less than £20 and not more than £100. "Quacks. 15 • It is an offence for any person not a medical practitioner to undertake the treatment of any venereal disease, the penalty being either a line not to exceod £100 or imprisonment for a term not, exceeding.one year. ' Kvery person who" knowingly infects any other person with a venereal dis-. ease, or knowingly docs or permits or suffers any-act likely to lead to the infection'of any other person with any such disease, commits an offence, and is liable on summary conviction before a 'stipendiary magistrate to a fine not exceeding £100 or to imprisonment for a torm not exceeding twelve months, ,^/JCTv to both such fine and imprison- / ' The Governor-General may prohibit the sale or supply of certain drugs except pursuant to medical prescription. Health Patrols. The Minister of Public Health may From'time to time appoint as health 'patrols such number of persons of either sex as ho may consider necessary, whose duty it shall be to protect the health and mortality of young persons. .* . , ISve'ry person appointed under this clause shall have and may exercise the powers of police constables, and shall be entitled to the same protection and privileges in the performance of their duties as police constables.