SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9795, 19 October 1917, Page 5

SOCIAL HYGIENE BILL

amendments in committee DETENTION SCBSTITTITED FOB PRISON HOSPITAL. The Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister for Public Health) has given notice of his intention to move in committee certain amendments to the Social Hygiene Bill. The first amendment relates to clause 7, sub-clause (1), which, at present reads as follows: “If the Minister has reason to believe, on tho report of the Chief Health Officer and on such other evidence (if any) as ho deems sufficient, that any person, being a prostitute or reputed jjrostitute, or a person Lahdtuaily consorting with prostitutes, is suffering from jany venereal disease, and that there is danger of such disease being communicated to any other person or persons, ho may, by writing under his hand, refer the matter to a local advisory _ board for consideration and report, wath a view to the detention under this Act of the person suffering as aforesaid, if such detention is considered advisable in tho interests of public health.” This tho Minister proposes to amend by omitting the words “being a prostitute or reputed prostitute or,” and substituting the words “who is a common prostitute, or who habitually leads an immoral life, or who is,” and so on.

He proposes also to amend subolause 4 of clause 7, which empowers tho local board to nominate a medical practitioner to personally examine any such person, by providing that the parson in question "shall bo entitled to demand that ho- shall also be examined by one or more medical practitioners nominated by himself.” Clause 8 is also to bo amended by omitting the words “in prison hospitals” from the heading to the clause, wliioh now reads: "Orders for detention in prison hospitals.” Tho necessary consequential amendments are to bo made throughout the bill.

Clause 16, providing fcir the payment out of public revenues of the expenses incurred by any constable or other officer in conveying or returning any person to a prison hospital is to be omitted altogether. Clause 19, sub-clause 1, which empowers the Minister for Public Health “at any time, by order under his hand,” to discharge, transfer, or release on probation persons in detention under the Act, is he be amended -by inserting after the word “time*' the words "on the recommendation of the Chief Health Officer or of a local advisory hoard.” Clause 20, sub-dauee 2, at present provides that “Every pea-son undergoing treatment for any venereal disease .... shall, unless and until he has received a certificate that ho has been cured of such disease, or that he is free from such disease in a communicable form, as provided for by section 23 hereof, continue to submit himself to such treatment.” The Minister, however, proposes to amend the aub-olauae by omitting all words after the words “until ho has,” <nd substituting the words "been cured ot such disease or is free from such disease in a oomimunioable form, continue to submit himself to such treatment.”

Tho necessary consequential amendments follow, clause 23, which provides for certificates of cure, being omitted altogether. Sub-clause (3) of clause 20, at present requires “every person suffering from any such disease” to “personally attend or cause himseflf to bo attended by a medical practitioner for the purpose of examination,” or “for that purpose to attend at a hospital or other place available for the treatment of venereal disease, at such intervals as may be prescribed, not exceeding in any case an interval of four weeks.” This it is proposed to amend by omitting the words “as may be prescribed” after Hie words “such intervals,” and adding at the end of tho sub-clause the words “as may bo prescribed by the medical practitioner treating him.”