TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1923, Page 18

TOPICS OF THE DAY

(By M.H.C.)

Of tremendous interest and importance is the document recently received in Wellington which sets forth the finding of the Committee of Inquiry on Venereal Disease, appointed by the Ministry of Health (British), of which the Right;; Hon. Lord Trevethin was chairman. This committee held 28 meetings, and examined exhaustively a number of authorities who were known to be for and against any system of notification. Among these were officials from the Ministry of Health, and Health Officers from Liverpool, Portsmouth, Birmingham, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Gloucestershire,.and other counties. Also officers in cbaxge_ (male and female) of V.D. and. skin diseases hospitals; Coiyicil for Combating V.D.., Director of Hygiene, Eastern Command; Society for the Prevention of V.D.; Association for Moral and Sodial Hygiene; Federation of Medical Wbmen; Scottish Board of. Health; 8.M.A.: Associated Societies for the Care and. Maintenance of Infants; Superintendents of various infirmaries; and representatives of Naval Health Societies. 'Written statements were received from, a, number of officials of the Eoyal Air Force, -Navy and Anjny, and from the-Provincial Board of Health, Ontario.

Those above. represent » mighty force of learning and intellectual attainment. Their findings are of supreme interest. They have caused great questionings and heart searchings on the part of, the women of the Dominion who have taken a real heed; of the matter as it has been progressing in New Zealand. The report deals with all sides of the subject. It states that more study of a difficulty subject is needed by the general practitioner ; that the work of existing V.D. clinics is> of high value, and the system is one that ought to be encouraged, extended; and improved. The fact that a stigma which accompanies the disease renders many sufferers 'reluctant to submit themselves fop treatment argues that by maintaining secrecy people will be more likely to come and to continue. The suggested modified -compuißion is. thus dealt with: "But in our view such a system would be more likely at the present time to deter than to encourage attendance, and it seems difficult to justify the imposition of a, penalty on 'those •who have come for treatment, while lea-vine untouched those who make no effort to.seak treatment." Another grave, difficulty mentioned is the lack of any recognised standard of non-infectivity. The establishment of more clinics, and more hostels for women attending clinics, and also the establishment of homes and hospitals for the treatment of child victims of the diseases, are mentioned among the remedial measures recommended. Two moat important findings axe-the following : (1) Money spent on the elimination of those conditions of life which tend to -foster promiscuous intercourse and tie spread, of disease will be money better spent than any expended on establishing any general system for affording facilities for disinfection. (2) It is right to add that, so far as conclusions can be drawn from the available figures of attendanoe at clinics, V.D. is once more, as it was before the war, substantially declining." No person who thinks,, or studies this most difficult matter, the coping' with a "secret disease," can fail to be aware that the difficulties in arriving at a right decision as to the best means aTe almost insuperable, therefore appreciation and respect must be given to all those who in any country have given of their time and effort to- endeavour to find a way put. But the fact remains that the committee set up by the British Ministry of Health had wonderful advantages in the way of authority, and was in the centre of the difficulties and the remedies, and thai the findjng was as quoted above.

Because of a certain political conservatism •which is manifested in various directions towards New Zealand women, they are apt to think that the country is altogether "in the back seat" in regard to social matters. By social is meant the broad sense of the word, not the "society" meaning. An example has been given this week which well illustrates that this is not the case by any means universally. Much, distress has been felt by women all over the world on account of the increase of offences against the bodies of little children, and great anxiety .has been shown that more adequate means should be taken to check a, terrible evil. A new realisation has arisen of the irreparable injury to the soul and spirit of the little victims. Therefore, many voiceless thanks will be given to the learned New Zealand Judge who has given a sentence of ten years' imprisonment, with a flogging, to the perpetrator of a particularly disgusting assault on a little girl of seven years. Contrast this with a happening in England mentioned thus in "Time and. Tide" :—Mr. Briant asked the Home Secretary if his attention had been called to the sentence of seven days' imprisonment imposed at the Hants Assizes on a- man of 44, found guilty of an offence against a girl of 14, who, as a result, was shortly to become a mother, and if he had made inquiry into the case. Mr. Bridgsman: "My attention has been called to the case, but I have no authority to take action in regard to it." Lord H. Cavendish Bontinck.asked if the attention of the honourable gentleman had been drawn to tie frequency of the very inadequate sentences given in similar offences, and ■would he circulariss the Magistrates? Mr. Bridgman, in reply, seemed to think that there was not any reason to be dissatisfied, but said that it might, bs advisable, in one or two cases to circularise. In some cases the term "honourable gentleman" seems rather a misnomer, and New Zealand women have cause to be thankful that their fellowcountrymen take a more Christian and noble point of view than is expressed in the above story.