THE VEILED PLAGUE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2155, 22 May 1914, Page 8

THE VEILED PLAGUE

: METHODS OF FIGHTING IT .EDUCATION FIRST LINE OF ATTACK RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY CHARITABLE AID BOARD. Tho report of Dr. - Hardwiek Smith, ""n odical"superintendent of tho Hospital, ,- PH., tho .problem of how to attack and .eradicate, if possible, vonoreal diseases, was discussed by tho Hospital and Chari- . stable. Aid Board yesterday. Tho report . "made the. following recommendations: — ■■■ ■ lectures bo given by tho " medical profession, for they aro tho ~ best authorities in thoso 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 tho Defence Forces, when in camp, attend lec~J. ture.l on theso subjects. 4. That ship's surgeons bo given a grant to lecture to tho oflicers and men on their ships. 5. That public bodies, such as the hospital boards, givo grants to mcdical men to give public lectures, duly advertised, to ■young men and women. Mr. F. T. Mooro said he hoped the board would adopt tho report of Dr. Hardwiek Smith, which, in his opinion, , was a very. excellent report. He believed that tho veiled plague could be • combated and oven stamped out in this country by mcdical skill, and apparently' there was a world-wide campaign .: against tho disease.' .Ho would move ■ that in terms of Dr. Hardwiek Smith's report, tho board adopt tho following recommendations of the Australasian Medical- Congress:— "That provision be made through , tho hospital boards to establish laboratories in. the . four centres where not already existent, for tho ■diagnosis of syphilis." "That freo treatment in the public hospitals and dispensaries bo ' provided for syphilitica, and that • the medical be in- ■ structed to givo effect to tho Tesolution. The Ker. H. Van Staveren seconded ilio' motion.. The medical superintendent said that the first of these'two resolutions was already being carried out.' ■ Dangers of Early: Knowledge. Dr. F. W. Mackenzie said that tho, adoption of these clauses would, nqt go, "iar enough. Tliere was a clause in tho

Public Health Amendment Act giving the authorities power to detain persorra suffering from infectious diseases, but - it was not enforced, and ho would move as an amendment that tho Government , bo asked to put it in forco. At present there wcro people wdio were deliberately spreading these diseases in our cities, and they ought to bo put under restraint. But he objected to the pro-'-posal of Dr. Hardwick Smith that young ■ girls should bo taught much about sex matters. Ho bad discussed the mat-, ~ ter "with some of the best women who ;.}voi'o,'in control of girls in schools, and ;™ 1 liad "conic 1 to his conclusion after careful consideration. There was some- . thing in a young girl who had not i.lfanied anything .about sex .matters ii •"'- I ™PPA ft '' e <3 as so'oir' as she began -to learn about them—a sort of mystery which was in itself a protection to her. '.He' would like'to see girls taught merethe heads of the chapters about the -beauty of motherhood, about the necessity, for. keeping their , bodies clean and ■ 'cure, but no more. "Ho.'.quite'iagreed, however, that boys ought to be instructed in sex hygiene. It was true, they would lose something by being instructed 111 , sex. matters, but in actual fact they lost it pretty soon, anyhow. Another reason'why he .objected ,to girls .being taught- sex hygio'n'e .was tliat .for;femalos sox hygiene was a very complicated subject, far more so than. in the case of boys. If boys knew 1 how to avoid catching venereal diseases, girls would .-.not catch them. But ho would object to a lot of boys being collected together in classes to bo taught anything -about sex matters'," even by i|ic'dical men. If boys were, brought together 111 classes tbo tendency . would bo to treat, this subject as a joke. The teaching must be by individual -talks, ..and preferably 1 by persons with the proper temperament to give such instrilc- ; tion. Otherwise barm, rather than good, would bo the result 1 .

"To meet iho ease of the actual diseases .existing- at. 'the. present time;" lie concluded, "requires much',careful thought. Lock wards are impossible. In pot- Clause 19 0 f tlio Public Health "Act Amendment into force for the purnose of detaining persons who are wilfully spreading the diseases would bo a wise measure. Compulsory notification. to ,a responsible official would enable. accurate statistics to. be compiled, and the";'know-ledge,: Rained, might be used to prevent fniarriastes' which arc now tlie'ci"ise'.of so liiucK siok'ness and sorrow. Treatment of these diseases should not bo allowed by any but qualified doctors, because otherwise they would bo neylreted'in the'enrlv'stages, when there is some hope of effecting a cnrc." ° Msod for Legislation. Mr. D. M'Larcn said he regarded tho report ot the. incdical superintendent as ono of the ablest reports tlio board had ever had. Ho was quite sure that the strong moral appeal running through the report would be of incstiniable guocl citixcns of tJii.s couutry. Ho would like to see some legislation enacted which would prevent persons not properly qualified from teach-' ing sex hygiene. Tho effect of such leaching was often to inculcate prurient ideas. Ho had known this sort of thing to occur as tlio result of the teaching—well-meant, 110 doubt—of peripatetic lecturers. Ho did not ngreo ivith Dr. Maekcnzio that young girls ought not to bo taught about sex matters. 7 lt was a vor.v high ideal to wish to havo preserved tho flowor and "loom of innocence in girls. Every true man had a feeling almost of adoration for purity and innocence in girls, nut, ho still believed that girls could be taught without harm to themselves a certain knowledge of sex hygiene, proHied teaching was done by proper persons. This knowledge would assuredly ho a protection to girls. Ho would support the motion. Noctl for a Campaign. Mr. B. ft. Gardener said he would like to see somo uniform campaign being inaugurated rightthrdughout tho country against tho disease. He characterised the idea that girls ought not to be educated in sex matters as "mock modesty." He was afraid, however, that tho mere adoption of the resolution would do little good if the matter we're' at once allowed to drop. Mr. J. W. M'Ewen said he Would support tho motion, but he would have liked to see the board do something likely to bo a little more effective. Mr. Moore said lto wished to amend his motion to read as follows:—"That the recommendations of Dr. Hardwick Smith bo adopted, and also recommendations 2 and 3 (quoted above) of tho Ausfcralasjan Medical Congress, and that a committee, consisting of tlio chairman, Dr. I'latts-Mills, Dr. Mackenzie, Mrs. M'Larcn, tho Rev. H. Van Staveren, the Key. J. K. Elliott, Mr. D. M'Larcn, Mr. F. Castle, Mr. F. T. Mcore, and Mr. J, Smith, be set up to report as to

the best means of giving effect to the recommendations."

Mr. I<\ Castle supported tho motion. Jtle agreed that .education must ho tho nrsfc lino of attack upon tho plague, in order thnfc young people should I JO not quite without protection against tho timo when they might como into eontact with persons wliose minds were no better than "a sexual piggery." Mr. J. Smith said lso wished to congratulate Dr. Hardwiek Smith upon his very abio report. He thought all boys and girls of, say, high school age, should be taught, and taught effectively, what was before them in lifo Serious for the Raca. The Rev. W. A. Evans said he was glad tho board had taken up the matter seriously, and he joined with other members ill congratulating Dr. Hardwiek Smith on his report. It was possible, he maintained, to create an atmosphere around young people of such a character as to make it possible to discuss sex matters as very sacred matters indeed. Ho had como. across more than 0110 person who .had succeeded in creating an atmosphere of this kind, but there were people, even qualified in other respects, who wero unable to create this atmosphere, and a little knowledge might produce very, very sad results. He believed the best thing the board could do was to adopt the resolution. From a moral pointy of view, this question was one of tho most vital before tho community. If the eVils consequent upon the spread of this disease were allowed to continue, their ill effects, upon the race would go on, and there would,be a timo when our people, despite the greatness they had achieved, would have to bow t& some foe, as other peoples had in the past, as a result of the same kind of disease. The motion was carried unanimously.