The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, JULY 18, 1919. SOCIAL HYGIENE.

White Ribbon, Volume 25, Issue 289, 18 July 1919, Page 9

The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, JULY 18, 1919. SOCIAL HYGIENE.

Among the* evil effects of-the war, one is thr great increase of venereal •lis' .isr. So man) cases have returned to this Dominion that in order to deal with them, and to prevent the "pread of infection, Government is to ,M asked to bring in a Hill next se*s"ion giving the necessary* powers. I he measure asked for differs from the old CM). Acts in several points. <• It treats both sixes alike.

2. It is to be administered by the Health Department, and not by the police.

;. Its object is to prevent the spread »t disease, and not to regulate prostitution. or to make immorality safe. We understand that the Bill is to •isk for three tilings:

t. Compulsory Notification, that tneans that if- a doctor is consulted by •' patient suffering from venereal dishe is compelled to report the

case to the Health Department, not bv name, but by key number. 2. Compulsory Treatment.—After a patient has consulted his doctor, nr ‘ must continue under treatment until the doctor considers him cured. If he fails to come for treatment, then the doctor may report him by name. Should the patient think that his own doctor is detaining him too long undei treatment, he has the right to ask to he examined by two doctors under the Department, hut this only if he himself wishes it. 3. Compulsory examination of Su->-l>ects. —This has always been opi>osed by women, because it iia placed all prostitutes absolutely* under policecontrol, and has been a menace* 10 every woman. This was the crucial point of Regulation 40 D.0.R.A., which caused such an outcry in Kngland that it had to he* repealed. Cnder it, perfectly innocent women were* arrested unde r the suspicion that they had communicated V I). to a member of His Majesty’s Forces. They had to submit to a degrading examination, and if innocent they had 110 redress. Hut the Act projwisc d to he introdu. -cl here is free from police control. A suspect car only be ordered to be <*xainined by one pe*rson, and that is tin* Chie f Health Officer of the* Dominion. If several cases of infection can he* traced to one individual, then the* Chief Health Officer may issue a w art ant compelling that person to he* e xamined. At first the* susjwa t i" advised to go to his own doctor, and if that is done* and he continues under treatme-nt, he is not further molested. In the cve*nt of a suspe*rt refusing to his own medical adviser, the*n the Health Department compulsorily cxamine*s them. There is to he a provision that if the suspect is a woman she must lie* examined by a woman doctor if there is one within a radius of twenty-five miles. Competent authorities tell us th.V this disease must be controlled in the interests of the health of the* Domio ion. It behoves our Women’s Socie tie’s to study these* provisions, and decide if they aie* the liest means of dealing with the disease, which is already so rife in our midst. If they are not, we must consider what better suggestions we e:an put forward.