VENEREAL DISEASE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11255, 6 July 1922, Page 7

VENEREAL DISEASE

SPREAD IN NEW ZEALAND LEGISLATOR JIAKES A PLEA FOR NOTIFICATION. HOW COUNTRY COULD BE FREED. The subject of venereal disease was referred to in the Legislative Council yesterday by the Hon. Colonel Collins, who said that lie was compelled to bring the question up again, unsavoury as it- waii. Owing to the action of a body of men in Christchurch, led by Dr. the Prime Minister was interviewed- m Christchurch and was told that at least 2000 fresh cases were occurring in New Zealand every year. That was a rather startling statement to make. The question had been before the Minister for Public Health, who brought it before the Board of Health, with the result that the board recommended the Minister to 6et up a special committee to go into the matter. When Colonel Collins arrived in New Zealand many yeare ago venereal diseases were regarded as disgraces. So mtych so that patients suffering from them, were not admitted to the hospitals unless they were practically in a dying condition. NEW ZEALAND LAGGING BEHIND Some years ago an international conference had been held in London and the conclusion arrived at was that such were the ravages of the disease that the conference should call on the Governments of the various nations to institute a system of confidential notification' of the disease to sanitary authorities. This question of venereal disease occupied practically the whole of the time of a conference held in Auckland some time ago. There, also, notification was recommended. Notification had been adopted in Australia, in many of the American States, and In Canada. In New Zealand we were lagging behind in this matter. SCIENTIFIC CAMPAIGN ADVOCATED.

Schemes for free treatment had. been instituted in New Zealand, but they were working out in a rather unfortunate way. The position now was that a man or a woman who had contracted the disease oould get free treatment, and immediately the stage of discomfort or pain had been passed, as there was nothing to compel them to continue treatment, they went about spreading the disease again. Something should ibe done to oompel patients to continue treatment till they were oured.

The question was one that had been put off and off. Medical men had lectured aU over New Zealand on this disease. He had interviewed the doctor in charge of the Wellington clinic, and, as a result, was not inclined to regard the Christchurch statement respecting the spread of the disease as an exaggeration. He thought the question should be tackled at once by the special committee. It was his firm belief that if it was tackled in a proper scientific manner venereal disease could be eliminated from this country in about three years. We must follow the lines taught us by science. It was only by following the lines of science that yellow fever had been eliminated from the Panama Canal zone. Surely if a disease carried by mosquitos could be eliminated, New Zealand could get rdd of venereal disease.