VEILED PLAGUES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1983, 13 February 1914, Page 8

VEILED PLAGUES.

.+_ SOCIETY'S WORST FOE. DISCUSSED BY THE MEDICAL CONGRESS. APPEAL TO THE NATION (Br sel«trra,ph—'?«*» Aasealatioa.) Auckland, February 12. The most important report to como before tho Medical Congress- was presented'this afternoon. It dealt with the problem , of syphilis, ono of the vilest contagious diseases known to medical science. • At the last congress a New .Zealand Committee was. set up to-in-vestigate, tabulate, and report the facts in regard to this disease. The report is an exceedingly comprehensive one, and has been published in pamphlet form. The committee decided to limit its:investigations to tho condition of affairs in New' Zealand and the South Sea Islands. In making its investigations, the committee received information from 301 medical practitioners in the Dominion, and from such institutions as mental hospitals, gaols, general hospital,?, old men's homes, and Salvation Army home". '■ It is pointed out that of the cases reported more than half como from Auckland and Wellington, which cities have the mosU frequent communications from outside countries: The returns report 1941 primary and secondary oases that were seen by private practitioners diinyg the last two years. To these must be added caaes met with in institutions. The total cases reported are as follow:—Auckland,'615 iii the city and 138 in the country; 'Wellington; citv, 412, country 23; Christchurch, city 252, country 24; Dunedin, citv 44. country 14. The cities total 1323 and the country 26-5. Wellington and Auckland, cities between; tliem contributed 119{5 cases, and to these must ho added the hospital returns. The general hospitals reported. 102 cases, and tho mental Jiospitals 18. Of the various institutions .which have; sent in returns, thirteen general hospitals report 192 cases. Short-Sighted Restrictions. "Here it is to be noted," continues the. report, "that most of these institutions by : thcir regulations refuse admission and treatment to primary venereal cases.i : Even at this, stage one must remar&f on the extraordinary lack of foresight in this regulation. This certainly is a most unfortunate position, and the committee- considers th'at hospitals ■ ought to' take in and treat any person, suffering from this, disease who is a danger -to the community." Thoreport goes on.to cay.thai if. all the medical men in tho Dominion had replied to the circular sent but,, the amount of the disease reported would probably have been at least double. The replies as to the frequency of infection as compared wfth former .years are indefinite, but if anything the.evidence points -to it beine; less frequent. The same 'applies to the inquirv as to severity, thp evidence again- being in favoui df its being milder. .'■ In ierard to incmiries as to. the sources-of ..infection, the .committee points out .that roplies are practically unanimous that- the in-l fection is, sea-borne. Sydney is specially mentioned,- then the South Sen- Islands, with a proportion of cases from other oversea routes. The report. th»n broker l, ? t«- d n nl at length' with the South Sea Islands, nnd more particularly with those Islands with which New Zealand is in direct communication.; In regard toother question of prevention, the committee suggests that ; it is eminently desirable that a Royal Commission should be set lip in New Zealand and Australia, and to act if possible in unison with the ■Royal Commission at present sitting in England. Campaign of Prevention. In' dealing further with the question of. prevention, the report says:— "The committee takes it for granted that the profession and the public genorally deem the police regulation regarding prostitution to be inadequate, inadvisable, and useless. Women known, as prostitutes are repressed by the police, and are becomfng rare, but clandestine immorality, by far the greater source of infection, holds its usual sway, an'd seems to increase in amount the nearer we get to the Equator. Reference may be made in passing to the prevailing impression, that as this is, a loathsome, disease it is.found only amongst abandoned porsons, as of old. However; the medical profession knows that immorality, clothed with a. semblance of respectability, is the greater source of infection." ■ The committee, after dealing at length with: the possible remedies, summarises its recommendations as follow :— "(1) That the disease be declared a notifiable disease, and , that notification be encouraged, and discretionary, but not compulsory, and ! th'at-the Chief Medical: Officer'of Health bo the only person to whom tho notification is made. "(2) That provision be made through the Hospital Boards to es.tablisn laboratories in tho four ; centres, whore not already existent, ' '. for the diagnosis of the disease. "(3) That free treatment in '.: the 1 public hospitals and dispensaries be provided. . , "(4) That steps be taken to educate the Mercantile Marine as to the dangers of the disease, and that ■ provision be made for preventive treatment on the intercolonial ser"vice. ; "(5) That legislation be enacted ■: against the treatment of the disease , by unqualified persons." The report was very fully discussed and adopted, and a memorandum, was then brought forward and discussed at length, after which it was decided to .address the following statement arid recommendations to tho various Governments of. Australasia: — ' . - Appeal by the Doctors. "Venereal diseases are- proved'.to be responsible for a- vast amount of damage to mankind. The damage is expressed by loss of life (frequently at its 'prime;, insanity, sterility, and the destruction of the family life. Tho inefficiency, and economic waste to the nation is enormous. The exact distribution of thesp diseases is unknown, but it is estimated by an excellent authority that (uie-twenty-fifth of tho population of Berlin, , Paris, aud Now York are annually infected. It is fairly certain that from 12 to 15 per cent, of the population of London, Paris, and Berlin arc syphilitic, and, in addition, a. much larger number aro goiuirrlioeic. There is good reason for thinking that Australasian cities aro affected to much tho sanio extent. There aro no other diseases which eaiiso so much loss to the community. By the adoption of suitable measures, these diseases can be greatly reduced, in frequency, and may be wholly suppressed. The steps which should be taken aro: (1) The provision of education (after consultation with educational experts, as to the lines to be followed),, for adults, and adolescents, as to the, nature of tho diseases, their causes, and consequences, and the method of prevention. (2) Provision of free, scientific, facilities for effecting the early and ' accurate • diagnosis of venereal diseases, and for testing the results . of treatment. \ (3) The provision, of free trcat- : rntnt, both in and , out-door, at times convenient to the patienls for all those who are unable to make their own arrangements.

(4) The passage of legislation providing for (a) tho detention of any person sulfering from venereal disease until by treatment ho or she is rendered innocuous—the Prisoners' Detention Act of Now South Wales already makes -eucli provision; (b) the severe punishment of anyone who wilfully or negligently communicates venereal ' diseases to other people; (c) the V severe punishment of anyone, not . being a qualified medical practitioner, who -undertakes to treat sufferers from venereal diseases —this provision is very necessary because . of) the danger to innocent persons consequent on tho unsuitable treatment' of the infected. . ■' • • Money Well Spent. 5 . "The monetary cost of effecting'the ' eradication of diseases would ' not bo very great; in fact, the expendij ture would bo. very email by comparison I with the expenditure resulting from the ' present wholesale infection of the pop'u- \ lace. There is no form of public ex- \ penditure ■ which might so truly be dej scribed as-national and-reproductive; ' If the steps indicated are taken with • wisdom, the results will be a diminution of. mortality and insanity and the ' expenditure in "hospitals and asylums, 1 and increased human, efficiency and bet- ' ter and healthier enjoyment, of life. ■ 1 "The recommendations quotedembody I principles. Their mode of application 5 would' probably be a-subject of discussion between the respective Goveni--1 mentsand the branches of the British Medical Association." ! ■ , • 1 -r ===== <->