SOCIAL DISEASES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16672, 17 October 1917, Page 5

SOCIAL DISEASES.

PBOBLEM OF TREATMENT. A report on venereal diseases was submitted to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board at its meeting lart night by tho medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr. 0. E. Maguire. Having described tho diseases, the report went on to refer to the difficulties attending their treatment in a general hospital. The various measures for the prevention of the diseases might be summed up as follows:—Control of prostitution i and alcohol, suppression of quacks, rational i

legislation against the marriage of persons with the diseases, encouragrment of early marriage, and education and moral training. Tjhere was no doubt that, for tho benefit of the community, something should be done by the board towards initiating a scheme for tk mitigation of these terrible social evils, the report proceeded. In Dr. Maguire's opinion the move made by the Women's Civic League was a step in the right direction. That a committee of intelligent and earnest women had been set up as a Health Committee was a very important mutter, and might be of great j assistance to the board in any future | efforts to cope with this scourge. The # suggestion that the board should subsidise a I trained nurse to attend at the league's rooms to give health talks to mothers and ! girls would, to the doctor's mind, bo ini advisable. He did not know that nurses I were more qualified to give such talks than were women engaged in social work. In fact, he thought the latter would be better able to deal with such matters from a practical standpoint, i As regards the treatment of the 1 dis--1 eases at the hospital, Dr. Maguire sugj gested that it should be undertaken tenta- ! tively at first by the establishment of a night clinic for out-patients, on one evening in the week for female patients and one* for male patients. He also recommended obtaining the services of an hon. physician of experience to supervise the proposed department. In the cas*, of female patients one or more lady doctors might be induced to aid the- scheme by giving their services. The primary idea would be to provide free advice and treatment to those unable to afford them. He suggested that the Civic League's Health Committee could be of great u«« in inducting patients to make use of such a clinic. If hi? suggestions were approved, Dr. Maguire pointed out that the matter of accommodation for the clinics, and of a laboratory, would require to be considered. Discussion of the report, and of the Government's Social Hygiene Bill, was deferred to a special meeting fixed for next Tuesday evening.