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Nelson Evening Mail, 29 May 1916, Page 3

The correspondent of a Petrograd journal who, is at the front speaks of a new- weapon, which has beed distributed "among German officers. This is a small and well-made revolver, and when it is fired a small cloud of suffocating gas.:escapes from the cartridge instead of a bullet. The gas does not cause death, -but those who inhale it become insensible for several hours. It is stated that the Germans use this revolver for the purpose of obtaining prisoners near the Russian trenches, their obvious object being to compel these prisoners to divulge information as to what is going on behind the Russian lines. A .few days ago the Russians succeeded in capturing some of these - revolvers, which have been taken to Petrograd. The 1 number of English writers who have'fallen ! in action is, happily, few, though ~we shall never know 'how much promise has been cut off untimely in the cause of righteousness. France has suffered, more severely. Amongst her dead are Ernest Psichari, the grandson of Renan j Guy de Cassagnac, Pierre Leroy Beaulieu, Jaques. Rambaud, Jean ; Maspero, and Georges Latagne, son of the director of La Liberte. The war will produce new writers, probably, too many of them. The hist of those who will write ho more will <be a melancholy tribute to those who laid down the pen to take up the sword.

The other day an Otago -Daily Times Teporter asked a leading Dunedin doctor to -express an opinion whether venereal diseases were more prevalent in Dunedin than usual. The information obtained from, the doctor was of a rather startling nature. Ho said he. was distinctly of the opinion that there was an increase in such diseases, no doubt due to con--tagion, contracted from some of. the returned soldiers, and also from soldiei-s who had contracted the disease while in the damps in New Zealand. He added that he was certain that the medical authorities attached to the Military Department had in some instances not been BufficientlM strict in their examination of .soldiers who were arriving - -by transports, and; that, as a- result, soldiers suffering from disease had been allowed their freedom. He instanced one case which had come under his own'notice. A returned soldier had been primarily responsible for the contamination of five people. He also mentioned another case, where a- cook in a local 'hotel was suffering from, syphilis, and continued to follow his occupation. The doctor remarked that the medical profession had absolutely jio control . over women who were suffering from contagious disease, and, as a result, they could spread the contagion far and wi3e. He was firmly of opinion that some steps should be taken; by the Government Jo introduce a, measure whereby men and 1 women suffering, from a contagious -disease should, <be prevented fromi being a menace to society. Ho personally favoured! a measure on the lines of the old 'Contagious Diseases Act. Touching on the matter of. the medical examination of returned soldiers, it is said that one transport which brought back returned soldiers had no fewer than (38 cases <-f venereal disease on board. Eight of the soldiers reported themselves as suffering from disease', and' were placed in quarantine. The other 30, however, 'did not report themselves, and, although it is not denied that they mighthave recovered from the. disease while on,the voyage out, thei'e was, we understand, no particular examination in their cases—they had not previously* reported themselves—r and they had slipped off the, steamer with the rest of the men who had not contracted any disease. It seems apparent from the inquiries made by the reporter that certain people strongly object to any such measure as the Contagious Diseases Act. They prefer to hide their heads in the sand, as the ostriches do, and to' delude themselves with the thought that a secret disease which is a distinct menace to societydoes not exist.