REVIEW.

White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 231, 18 September 1914, Page 3

REVIEW.

TDK (IKKAT SCOI RGE, \NI) HOW TO KND IT. (By Christabel Pankhurst, LL.B.) Thanks are due to Miss Pankhursi for this fearless little book. To many, doubtless, the revelations will be appalling. “Woman’s instinct,” she says, “is to keep these awful truths hidden,” but so long as society, from a false sense of prudery, shuts its eyes to this danger, they cannot be brought to an end. Hut though she writes plainly, there is nothing one can object to in tlu* book unless one objects to facts. She treats her subject with outspoken candour, but it is the book of a woman, strong, dean, brave, and sane, and it should do much good. Every man and woman, especially mothers, should read it. Her case is well presented, and in -upport of her statements throughout she quotes from medical and other authorities. Statistic ians and eugenists should find it very interesting. In the introduction she explains that “Men writer- for the most part refuse to tell what the hidden scourge is,

and so it becomes the duty of women to do it.” There would be no hope of abolishing it otherwise. She deal- with two torms of venereal disease, showing <le trly their cause, prevalence, effects, and cure.

Prostitution is the* cause of all venereal disease. Of the male population, possibly jo per cc nt. contract syphilis, and if married, almost certainly infect their wives.

Gonorrhoea is much more prevalent, 75 per cent, to So per cent, of the male population having contracted it at some time in their lives, and three out of five married women becoming infected through diseased husbands. The ravages of syphilis are great. Any part of the body may be affected.

Above all, the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system. To learn the great part it plays m race degeneration will be of special concern to women. “Its * effec t- in destroying and deforming the next generation is particularly great.’ Inherited syphilis causes mental deficient y, idiocy, epilepsy, malformations, etc. It also causes miscariiage- and the birth of dead children. In gonorrhoea the suffeiing and risks to women are mu< h greater than to men. One authority states that out of iooo abdominal operations, 950 were the result of conditions due to this disease. It is also c hieffy to blame for the decreasing birth r«»lc. But another reason for this 1-, -lie* says, the growing distaste for mar liage among intelligent women, and tins will continue, not only hecau-c good women are realising that they cannot mate with falle n men, but also because young women must be warne d “that marriage i> intensely dangerous until men become 1 chaste and clean living.” The cure for tin- great national ranker is “chastiij for men and votes for women.” Chastity is shown to he both physi caily and morall) healthful, on much good authority, which cannot be ignored. All other line- .nr unreliable, and m some cases dangerous to life She adds that even if the diseased body of the male prostitute could be healed, the brain would still remain stained, leaving him morally unfit for me duties of husband and fathe r. But it i- noticeable that her appeal to the man is in his own interests. Prostitution is proved, besides being unnecessary and degrading to the individu tl, to be* disastrous, physically, mentally, and morally, to the race. For no other -in is punishment so severe, being visited in the* form of disease on their children and their children’s children. For this there is no cure* save 1 chastity 01 race extermination. “Therefore, prostitution must go.’’ They will be told that is impossible. That attempts have been made in th** past, and have always failed, and will always fail. Their answer is, “You have never tried to abolish prostitution, and so of course you have not succeeded. By the strengthening of women politically and socially, and the* education of men, this will be attained,”

For the rescue of those men who, being weak, degenerate, or having through disease become sexual maniacs, have no self-control, they will look to the medical profession, who can greatly aid both by instruction and by drugs. “A high privilege it will be to rid humanity of a most awful scourge.” She hni-hes with a strong indictment against the (iovernment, who. she says, are “themselves White Slave-mongers and upholder- of vice,” and dare not meet the judgment of women voters. She condemns their “abominable conduct where th? womanhood of India is concerned,” whic h ha- only to be known to British women to m ike them determine d te. win the vote. When free, th<*\ will not tolerate the exploitation of their si-tcr> in India and elsewhere. Women cannot live peaceably when a huge c lass of slave women, coriupted and outcast, are sacrificed to immorality. For this concerns all women, and those in authority must be* called to account Miss Pankhurst i- the* champion of women, and if then suffrage realises all her hopes, we will certainly have “A new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Even although one may not altogether agree with her, this little book is well worth reading “The Great. Scourge” can be purchased from Mrs Dcarlove, Lincoln Road, Napier, price is ;>d.