VENEREAL DISEASE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17393, 2 March 1922, Page 3

VENEREAL DISEASE.

COMPULSORY TREATMENT. Venereal disease was dealt with by Dr. "VV. Young, president of the New Zealand branch of the British; Medical Association, when delivering his address to delegates to the annual conference which opened at Wellington this week. It should be realised, said Dr Young, that venereal disease in its various forms was much more common than tuberculosis. The Social Hygiene Act of 1917 was a step in the right direction, but it was not drastic enough to meet the present condition. Notification had been condemned by the English Royal Commission, partly on .the ground that fear of notification and publicity was likely to prevent some patients from seeking medical advice. It had been tried in Denmark, without marked succesSj but was in force in Western Australia and other States, both in Australia and America, apparently with some success. The Royal Commission relied mainly on education, free clinics, and the xuppressionof quack treatment. This was the ]ine adopted in the New Zealand Social Hygiene Act. Free clinics would not be satisfactory unless attendance was made compulsory. This was proved by a report recently made by the, specialist at Wellington Hospital. In Britain, also, many free clinics had been established, and the annual report of the C il.O. of the Ministry of Health for 1920 showed that one-third of the cases ceased to attend before completing a course of treatment. In Pennsylvania, a patient who discontinued treatment was sent a notice to return, and if this was not effectjvo the clinic, made use of the legal machinery at the disposal of ihe Department of Health. Dr Young considered that it was doubtful whether one medical measures alone, without compulsion, cou'd control venereal diseases. To carry out tho Pennsylvanian plan, notification need only be brought into play whenever a patient before being cured ceased going for treatment. ■. "Continue the education and free clinics" concluded the doctor, "but let us have notification in some form along with compulsory .treatment.'! :