VENEREAL DISEASE.

Grey River Argus, 18 July 1922, Page 8

VENEREAL DISEASE.

LEGISLATION DESIRED. WELLINGTON, July 15. The upper-class idea of making sufferers from V.I). register or notify is hitting at the masses. Reference was made by the Hon R. Moore in the Legislative Council to the subject of venereal disease. Mr Moore congratulated the Hon Dr Collins on the way in which he had brought the subject of venereal disease before the Council and before the country. Dr Collins had been persistent in bringing this matter forward, and he deserved the thanks of the people for liis efforts to induce the Government to make some alteration in the Act. Mr Moors said that he happened to be connected with a hospital which was one of the first to take any steps to combat venereal disease. He thought the Canterbury Hospital Board was tho first body in the country to take steps to combat venereal disease. He thought it was the first board to establish a clinic for the treatment of venereal patients. Dr Collins had said that the estimated number of persons suffering from venereal disease in the Dominion was something like 2000. Members: Two thousand fresh cases a year. Mr Moore remarked that Dr Collins had said that if the scourge was properly tackled it would be stamped out in three years. If that was so, Mr Moore hoped an attempt would be made. The Hon T. McKenzie: That is quite true. Mr Moore quoted figures obtained from the Christchurch clinic. From May, 1921. to May. 1922, the attendances of venereal patients numbered 4773, the new cases 371, and the number of patients 1368. Those were merely the hospital figures which took no account of the cases that received private treatment and those which were never heard of. Those were the numbers only of the people who volunteered to go to the hospital for treatment. And if that was the position in a small city like Christchurch, what must be the position all over the Dominion? The disease was so far-reaching, so many innocent people were suffering from it. that any measure Parliament could adopt to stamp it out should be taken. New Zealand was the only part of the overseas Dominions, he believe which had not a system of compulsory notification. In almost every State in Australia, there was compulsory ' notification. He had heard it said that compulsory notification had failed in Western Australia, but he had been as- ; tired it had been a great success there. He did not know that we should have regulations as drastic as some countries had 'i'he Hon T. McKenzie: You cannot, have it to drastic! Another councillor: Why not go the whole hog? Mr Moore thought notification would be sufficient for the present. COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY. WELLINGTON, July 15. In Parliament, Hon. C. J. Parr announced the personnel of the committee on Venereal Diseases as follows: Dr. Valentine, the head of the Health Department. The Hon. W. H. Triggs, M.L.C. Sir DonaliT MeGavin. Director-Gen-eral of the Army Medical Service. Dr. J. S. Eliott, the representative of the British Medical Association in New Zealand. Mr W. Fraser, representing the Hospital Boards. Lady Luke, the women’s representative on the Board of Health. Mr D. G. Sullivan asked if the Minister would accede to a request from the Hygiene of Christchurch, ; that membership of the committee be not limited to the Board of Health, but should include representative women. Mr Parr declared there seemed to be an extraordinary rush to get on this committee. He had received requests from (even (organrsaJiQiis suggest! the nomination of forty' persons. He presumed the applications came from people who held strong views on one side or the other. For that very reason he would rather do without them on the committee. He had discussed the matter with the Board of Health, which had recommended him to set. up a committee which would be far less extensive than a Commission. He had adopted that suggestion, and had confined the nomination to the Board ot Health. He did not wish to make the inquiry expensive. They had three doctors, and did not need Colonel Fen-