VENEREAL DISEASE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8739, 22 May 1914, Page 3

VENEREAL DISEASE

A VEILED PLAGUE HOSPITAL BOARD TAKES STEPS FOR SUPPRESSION. At the Australasian Medical Congress held in Auckland last 1' ebruary, a report on syphilis was prepared by a special committee. The report, contained five recommendations, which were submitted to the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday afternoon by Dr Valintine, Inspector-General of Hospitals, when they were discussed by tho board, together with the report on tho subject presented by Dr Hardwick Smith, Medical Superintendent, at the previous monthly meeting and published in the “New Zealand Times” on April 24th. The recommendations of the special committee of tho Medical Congress were: — (1) That syphilis be declared a notifiable disease; that notification b© encouraged and discretionary, but not compulsory, and that tho Chief Medical Officer of Health be the only person to whom the notification bo made. (2) That provision be made through tho hospital boards to establish laboratories in the four centres where not already existent for tho diagnosis of syphilis. (3) That free treatment in the public hospitals and dispensaries bo provided for syphilitics. (4 That steps be taken to educate tho mercantile marine as to the dangers of syphilis, and that profusion bo mad© for preventive treatment on tho intercolonial service. (5) That legislation be enacted against the treatment of syphilitics by unqualified persons.

In a covering letter. Dr Valintine wrote; —“I feel sure that your board will do all that it is possible to give effect to the recommendations, especiallv recommendations 2 and 3. As regards the free treatment in our public hospitals, recommended by the committee, I would suggest that such free treatment particularly apply in the out-patient department of our hospitals, but that where possible a fee, according to the means, be charged to - syphilitic persons who have to bo treated as in-patients. Tho department is taking the necessary steps to give effect to the other recommendations of the special committee.” ~ Dr Hardwick Smith’s suggestions, which he said in his report • “might be useful,” were: —

1 That lectures be given by the medical profession, for they are the best authorities in these diseases. 2. That all institutions such as schools, universities, young men and women’s associations, etc., have a course of lectures dealing with these diseases. 3. That the Defence Forces, when in camp, attend lectures on these subjects. 4. That ships’ surgeons be given a grant to ecture to the officers and men on their ships. 5. That public bodies, such as the hospital boards, give grants to medical men to give -public lectures, duly advertised, to young men and women. SHOULD SPARE NO EXPENSE. The discussion was opened by Mr F. T. Moore, who said that every facility should be granted to enable the jVTpdjcal Superintendent to go on with this all-important work. There was money in the country for horse-racing and theatres, and no consideration .of expense should deter the board fro/a grappling with the question. New Zealand was taking her part in a worldwide movement to suppress the veiled plague. He moved:—“That the Medical Superintendent be given power to carry out clauses 2 and 3 of the Medical Congress report, > and that these clauses' be adopted.” He congratulated Dr Hardwick Smith on his report on the subject. The Rev. H. Van Staveren said he was of opinion that clauses 2 and 3 should be adopted. The board had every right to fight this disease in all its forms'.

Mr H. Baldwin said that to adopt danse 3 would bo a very big order. Expense must be considered in dealing with the question. LIBERTY AND LICENSE. Dr Mackenzie said there was no doubt that in Wellington there were people going round at the present time communicating to others diseases of the nature under discussion. Clause 19 of the Public Health Amendment Act should be put in force so that such persons should be detained. Mr Moore was to be highly commended for raising this question and getting a report on venereal diseases laid before the board. The report was quite broad enough to let the public know the extent of these horrible diseases, and to impress upon the young of both sexes the absolute desirability, in their own interests, of avoiding all risks of catching them. It was a report which should appeal very strongly to parents, jand all those responsible for the ethical training and the care of the young. Miss Butler, head mistress of the Auckland Girls’ Grammar School, recently said:—“There is a period in a girl’s life when so-called liberty is only ■ license, and it is grievous to think of the number of young girls who are allowed to go out when they like, with whom they like, and .where they please. Self-reliance cannot he encouraged at the expense of a girl’s womanliness and niceness.”

“Every physiologist knows that Miss Butler is right,” said Dr Mackenzie. “In the ease of girls, education is not sufficient in a largo number of cases; for at the periods Miss Butler refers to impulse has a way of asserting itself in spite of all the influences of civilisation, society, and education. The normal girl of to-day is the same as the girl of the forest-times. Environment may be different, she may be educated and refined, but she is very close to the surface, just as God made her. The old, God-given instincts are very little, if at all altered, and at these periods they are apt to assert themselves in spite of reason. I do not think that the education of girls in sex hygiene is the proper remedy at all. I do not think that girls ought to be taught anything about sex hygiene, but just the headings of the chapters about motherhood and the beauty of it, and the necessity of keeping their bodies perfect for it. ~ PARENTS FALSE STAXDPOIn/.

“To boys I would teach everything during the years of growth. Their training should be begun young. From very early years they should he taught their duty in caring for girls and helping them, .... They should

be taught real chivalry, and encouraged to practise it. Boys are not vicious, but in the past they have grown up with wrong ideals about girls, and as men have only discovered the truth through the years in sorrow at their mistakes. It must be a broad teaching in the earlier years, and it must be true. Parents too often lose their respect by deceiving children who ask natural questions about sex matters, especially about babies, because they look at these things from their own false standpoint instead of realising the beauty the child would see in them from its innocent point of view. Later on, about fourteen or fifteen, sex hygiene should be taught; not by lectures to classes, but always by individual talks with each boy separately, so that the boys will maintain their self-respect. IN ONE GENERATION.

“If such a plan as this is faithfully carried out by earnest people who understand, 1 feel sure that these diseases could be almost stamped out in one generation. I realise that by being taught sex hygiene boys will lose something, but they mostly lose it soon, anyway. Girls are different. Girls keep their indescribable mystery, which a crude knowledge of sox destroys, far longer than most boys do, and as it is only necessary that one sex should learn sex hygiene, and because it is much simpler in boys, therefore boys are tho ones to teach. Adults could be taught by literature and by lectures. I am not in favour of grants being given to medical men to give public lectures to young men and women. It requires a special kind of temperament to handle this subject so as to do good and not harm. COMPULSORY NOTIFICATION. “To meet the case of the actual diseases existing at tho present time requires much careful thought. Lock wards are impossible. To put clause 19 of the Public Health Act Amendment into force for the purpose of detain ing persons who are wilfully spreading the disease would bo a wise measure. Compulsory notification to a responsible official would enable accurate statistics to be compiled, and the knowledge gained might be used to pro vent unclean marriages, which arcnow tho cause of so much sickness and sorrow. Treatment of these diseases should not be allowed by any but qualified doctors, because otherwise ihey would ho neglected in tho early stages, when there is some hope of elfecting a cure. lam glad that some recognise that the individuals are not really responsible—that society is responsible, and has shirked its responsibility in tho past. That is so, and these unfortunate people have the right to all the help and sympathy we can give.” DUTY OF PARENTS.

Mr D. McLaren expressed his appreciation of Da- Hardwick Smith’s report. He thought that there were too many men who treated this subject with levity. Legislation should bo introduced to prevent unqualified persona teaching sex hygiene m a haphazard way. Men or women qualified to handle this subject had special gifts, which were not given to everyone. He thought, however, that both sexes should be taught sex hygiene. The decisions of the Medical Congress were practically the same as the recommendations made by the medical superintendent in his report. Mr McLaren supported the motion. Mr B. B. Gardener thought that uniform action should be taken throughout the Dominion. The fathers and mothers of the children would be the vftry best teachers in this most delicate question. Every boy and girl should be taught to make confidants ot their parents. A committee of the board should be appointed to draw up suggestions to be sent to the various (authorities throughout the Dominion. Mr J. W. McEwan said that the board’s endorsement of the report should not be confined to clauses 2 and 3. The Government should be urged to bring in legislation to enforce clauses 1,4, and 5. STEPS TO BE TAKEN. Mr Moore amended his motion to read that the recommendations of Dr Hardwick Smith in his report, and clauses 2 and 3 of the recommenda--Sions of the Medical Congress, be adopted, and that a committee con sistmg of the Rev. W. A. Evans, Dr Platts-Mills, Dr Mackenzie, and Messrs D. McLaren and I l ’. Castle be appointed to put these recommendations, into the form of a scheme.

Mr Oastlo said that boys should have some special knowledge on sex subjects before they came into contact with people whoso minds were moral cesspits. Air J. Smith said that when the matter was put before the Government, he was sure legislation would be brought forward to give effect to the recommendations. He hoped that a uniform system would bo established, so that, syphilitics could not escape from one hospital district to another. The chairman (the Rev. W. A. Evans) said that the two lines of at-tack-education and prevention—were almost identical. He thought that an atmosphere could be created amidst boys and girls in which instruction could be reverently carried on. The problem was the most vital that lay before civilisation to-day. If the disease continued to progress, the race would have to bow to au inevitable fate. He would like to have a bigger committee to discuss methods of fighting the scourge. He suggested that the names of Air F. T. Aloore and the Rev. H. Van Staveren, Mrs McLaren, and Air J. Smith be added to the committee.

This was done, and the motion was carried unanimously.