THE RED SCOURGE.

Grey River Argus, 8 June 1922, Page 2

THE RED SCOURGE.

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE SOUGHT. MR MASSEY SURPRISED AT FIGURES. CHRISTCHURCH, June 6. One of the matters brought under the notice of the Primo Minister by the North Canterbury Hospital Board, which waited upon him as a deputation, was the necessity of devising ways and means of combating venereal disease, and it was urged that the Government should set up a commission or a committee of experts to gather information on the subject, to be submitted for the consideration of the Government. Mr H. B. Sorensen said that for many years the Canterbury Hospital Board had tried to combat the evil and had now come to th-e conclusion that the time had arrived when the gloves should be taken off. Dr P. C. Fenwick said that the disease had such a hold in Christchurch that 1300 cases had been treated in the Christchurch hospital in the last eight years. Another 360 fresh cases were dealt with each year, and he had to state that no doubt a similar number of cases were dealt with by private practitioners. The number of such cases in Christchurch could be taken as an indication of the number in the Dominion. He urged that tho matter should be dealt with on a national basis, as anything short of such would not be successful. He stated that the Act dealing with notifiable diseases placed him in the position that whereas he was liable to be punished if he failed to report cases in which one of 22 diseases was involved, he would be proceeded against for libel if he reported the case of a man suffering from venereal disease. He had been legally advised in this connection. The Act provided against a man suffering from venereal disease being employed in a restaurant, but on the other hand the speaker hud been advised by solicitors that no magistrate would ever convict such a man on the unsupported evidence, of a medical man. The Act was quite a. good measure but at present it was imperative. The best method of combating the disease would bo to make the affected people themselves liable. He suggested that a committee of enquiry should bo set up to look into the matter, including a doctor from each of the two Islands and two ladies interested in social work. By this means public, as well as medical opinions would be obtained. If such an effort was made he considered that V.D. could be practically stamped out in a reasonable time. Otherwise, the effect on coming generations would be a terrible one. Mr Massey said that he was sorry to hear about the position of the country in regard to venereal disease. It was much worse, than he had imagined, and something should be done to strengthen the legislation. H had been suggested that a committee, comprising one medical man and one lady from each of the Islands should be set up. He did not object to that in the slightest. If the Health Department could not cover the whole subject ho was quite willing to accept as.-’.stance.