THE SOCIAL SCOURGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 July 1916, Page 6

THE SOCIAL SCOURGE

DRASTIC PRECAUTIONS PROPOSED, MEDICAL INSPECTION AND DE- ' •/ TENTION, CLINICS TO BE ESTABLISHED. J DEALING WITH THE QUACK-

WELLINGTON, July 19. Among the provisions in ■the War Regulations Bill is one to give the Government power to frame regulations for dealing with the ever-increasing social evil, and the Hon. G. W. Bust sell, in outlining a number of drastic proposals having for their object the stamping out of this scourge on the community, made a forceful and impressive speech to-night, “with the gloves off,” as the Minister' himself termed it. In order that this aspect of the Bill might be more freely dis- . cussed, all ladierTa the galleries were requested to leave, the Chamber. The Minister explained the scheme regarding the treatment of venereal diseases. That the disease was rampant in the country was shown by the fact that 292 soldiers had been admitted to camps suffering from ’ these diseases, 279 being the milder form Ninety were segregated on a certain quarantine island. The question for the c >untry was whether, these men should bo shut up while diseased women were allowed to continue to spread contagion. Comparisons showed that New Zealand was better- off in this respect than other countries. Control of women was tried under the CD. Act in Christchurch. He understood it resulted in improved conditions. He saw no reason why infected persons should mix with a healthy community. This should apply toymen and women. (Hear, hear.) He did not propose anything in the nature of restoring the Contagious Diseases Act, but he proposed to take power by regulations to place the one-woman brothel on the same footing as a brothel containing more than one woman, (Hear, hear.) The by-laws of Auckland and Wellington brought one-woman brothels under the law, and he proposed to make the same law - to the whole Dominion, (Hear, hear.) > CLANDESTINE PROSTITUTION.

Then, again, he proposed that any woman proved to be leading an immoral fife should be subject to medical inspeciton, and if found to be diseased should be detained until cured. The question whether, after being cured, sucu women should be sent to a reformatory would have to be dealt with later. Women proved to be vagrants and found diseased would also be treated in the same way. (Hear, hear.) The greatest difficulty, however, went on the Minister, would be in dealing with clandestine prostitution of both sexes. This class was undoubtedly far more numerous than those who gave u” . their lives to, immoral courses. The British medical faculty had set its face against notification, and he was satisfied that any attempt to make venereal diseases notifiable in New Zealand would result in driving the disease underground. He doubted very much if doctors would notify the Department, and this underground! aspect was, therefore, the very thing to Jd© avoided. In dealing effectively with such a disease, he thought, therefore, the course to be adopted should be along the lines of making it a criminal offence for any person except a legally qualified medical practitioner to. treat venereal disease. (Hear, hear.) This should have the effect of preventing chemists and quacks of all descriptions from diagnosing the disease and giving patients treatment(Hear, hear.) ESTABLISHMENT OF CLINICS. Tire next step to be taken, said MrRussell, should be the establishment of clinics for the treatment of venereal diseases/ He did not advocate the esitabliahment of separate institutions,' as they would from their very nature prevent persons from going to them for treatment, (Hear, hear.) The only way was for venereal diseases to be treated at public hospitals as being among the ordinary diseases for which the hospitals existed. He intended,, therefore, to ask the House to empower him to pay subsidies of 75 inSLead of 50 per cent towards the cost of treating venereal diseases at hospitals. (Hear," hear.) If possible, there should be female doctors for women and male doctors for men, and to be effective these hospitals for venereal diseases should be open day and night. EDUCATIONAL ASPECT. Another important aspect was the educational, as an. enormous amount • ot good could be done in this direction. (Hear, hear.) With this object he proposed to print,, and .circulate widely extracts from medical reports in all their hideous nakedness, showing the disastrous risks run by incurring danger of infection. He proposed also to institute lectures by male and female doctors to both sexes in all parts' of the country to show the danger of promiscuous intercourse. In this 'educational phase he hoped to have .the assistance of the bishops and clergy of the Dominion, while in secondary schools and the higher classes of the primary schools more instruct tion should be given. Advantage should also be taken of evening classes at technical schools, and professors should be enlisted as agents in propaganda dealing with this disease. The Minister went on to express the opinion tfiat it should be obligatory for doctors to hand to patients suffering from the disease cards containing instructions, and he would be pleased to have such curds printed- at the Government office and distributed to any medical men who applied for them. He also appealed to school teachers to assist .in the work, and to the Press, ■ which he remarked had already given valuable assistance, ■ >

PRECAUTIONS IN AMERICA. Mr. Russell went on to explain some precautions, adopted; ip the different States of America. Among the precautions whiph he thought should be adopted ..here:.were the prohibition of anv‘persons afflicted- with syphilis

from employment in such places as bakeries, meat shops, etc., and also in barbers’ shops, J He did not thnßki however, that New Zealand was prepared to go as far as interdicting mar. riage -between persons suffering from venereal, disease, as was the case in. some American States- .

OUR DUTY TO SOCIETY. . Discussing the aspect of the disease as it applied to men in training camps, the Minister said that men suffering from it were probably better than a large number of civilians, who could keep their condition secret- (Hear, hear.) He added: “F am not going to allow' the question of delicacy to close my mouth when I am' dealing with a problem of this kind. (Hear. V The only way of dealing with this matter is by taking the 'gloves off and realising that instead of dealing with it underground the best thing is to face it and try to destroy ; tho trouble effectively. (Hear, hear.) Every suggestion that can be made to assist the Government .iiU coming to a wise decision on this matter will be welcomed. It is a duty we owe to ourselves, and to the unborn children of this country, that we should do the u tip oat we can to stamp this dreadful disease out,” (Hear, hear.) The Minister added that he wished to assure members that a most-careful examination was made under the Public Health Department of all men returning from Egypt and Gallipoli, and no patients were released from quarantine until the officers were satisfied bet there was no danger of the disease in am. Eastern form being communicated in this country. There had been no evidence since the men returned from the war areas of any of the grosser and more horrible forms of venereal diseases which afflicted the East. Upon the Minister concluding his speech he was accorded prolonged applause by the whole House.

MINISTER’S PROPOSALS COMMENDED. Mr. Hornsby strongly emphasised his condemnation of the attitude of women who slighted and ignored their sisters who fell, but opened the doors to the man who offended. The best thing the Minister proposed was to deal with quacks. The next thing was to force the medical men to notify the disease.* ’ The Hon, G. W. Russell: They won’t do it.

Mr. Hornsby: Strike the offenders off the roll. , Mr. Wilford congratulated Mr. Russell on his statement regarding the social evil, and expressed the belief that i.t would have a deep effect on public opinion. On some points he disagreed with the Minister, especially the proposal to send doctors round to give local instruction. The best way was to clean up the disease from its source. Let them stop at the right to control women who were liable to spread "the disease, as he was positive that reformatory, treatment would be useless. ' Dr. Thacker commended the Minister of Internal Affairs for gripping the question in a thorough way. He had up-to-date knowledge. Hi s efforts would do more for New Zealand than those of any previous Minister. The best remedy was educative measures, starting as soon as children realised sex.