The Press. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1914. The Tabooed Subject.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14901, 14 February 1914, Page 10

The Press. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1914. The Tabooed Subject.

The Australasian Medical Congress now sitting in Auckland has already discussed several subjects of great-public interest,, but none approaches in importance the subject of the report presented to the Congress on Thursday afternoon by the Committee appointed at the last Congress' to investigate, tabulate, and report the facts in reference to the horrible contagious disease which is now the subject of enquiry by a Royal Commission in England. The tacts ascertained by the committee are sufficiently appalling. The returns report 1941 primary and secondary cases that were sfaaghy private practitioners in the Dominion during the last two years, • and it is believed that if all the medical men had replied to the circulars, the amount of the disease reported would have been at least double. There are also, in addition, 192 ca&ea reported from thirteen genera! hospitals and 18 cases from inentai hospitals'. Only a medical man can gauge the appalling amount of misery reflected in these Only a medical man realises how the taint is transmitted to succeeding generations, and how protean are the shapes of disease in which this particular scourge manifests itself. Only a medical man fully understands the dangers to perfectly innocent persons, from the presence of this virulent disease among the population without adequate precautions beinc taken for the eezreca-

tion of patients. Well-meaning, hut woefully ignorant, people are still to be found who oppose any active steps being taken to oombat sexual disease for fear of "legab'sihg vice," or "mak-

"ing s»in safe," as thoy call it." They do not know that a man has been known, in all ignorance, to convey tb« worst form of the disease to his own mother by kissing her, and that there are probably a dozen ways in which perfectly innocent persons may become the victims of infection. They do not realise that even when the disease has apparently been conquered in the individual it may reappear in his offspring. There was a panic among New Zealand mothers and fathers the other day because a. few cases of infantile paralysis were reported, and seeing the fatal character of the disease, and its undoubtedly infectious nature, no one can blame thoso parents for becoming alarmed and doing their best to shield their little ones from the danger. Very properly infantile paralysis was made a notifiable disease. But wo venture to say that the danger from this sourco is not to be named in the same breath with that from tho causes dealt with in the report laid before the Medical Congress. Men and women may bo known to bo suffering from tho disease, there may be good reason to believo that they aro sowing it broadcast, wrecking promising lives now, and poisoning the life-blood of future generations, but the community with inexcusable false delicacy, refuses even to allow the question to be discussed, much loss to allow any practical steps to be takon to deal with tho evil. Ono statement made by the committee is simply staggering. It will be noticed that the number of cases reported from the hospitals is surprisingly small. • It appears that most of the hospitals by their regulations refuse admission and treatment to primary venereal diseases! Presumably such cases are treated in the out-patients' department, but this means, of course, that patients who, for the safety of the community, ought to be segregated, are not taken into institutions where this could be done, but aro actually turned adrift among the population. A more insane and, one might almost say, diabolical procedure on the part of a body entrusted with the protection of public health can hardly be conceived.

Some practical suggestions havo been made by the Congress with a view to reform. The problem of what is best to be done is admittedly not without difficulty. The Congress adopted a series of recommendations to the various Governments, and wo bopo that some practical steps in accordance with the principles laid down will be taken by the Government of this Dominion. The Congress lays 6tress on educational work. There is no doubt that immense good has been done both in the Army and Navy since the practice has been adopted of lectures on these subjects being given to the men by the, medical officers, and it is probable that the medical officers attached to the Territorials might do very valuable work in the same direction. Tho Congress is rather chary in regard, to notification, but r we certainly think that there should at least be confidential notification to the chief medical officer. Other" recommendations which.we regard as of great-practical value are the provision of free treatment for all patients who are unable to make their own arrangements, and tbe passing of legislation to. provide for the detention of patients ia.a dangerous state of infection . and -. for the severe punr ishment •of ' anyone who , wilfully or negligently communicates the disease to other people, 'and the punishment of unqualified practitioners who undertake to deal with this particular class of disease. We consider that the members.of the Congress deserve the thanks of the public for the car© and attention they .have devoted to this question; aiyl we hope that public opinion will insist on tho Government and the' Legislature dealing with it in a practical way.