THE RED PLAGUE.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1917, Page 6

THE RED PLAGUE.

'AN IMPORTANT BILL, j ! (FAR-REACHING PROVISIONS. 1 ■ The Social Hygiene Bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, contains proposals of a radical Kind for dealing with venereal disease. It provides for the detention in prison hospitals of persona of a certain class found to be suffering from venereal disease, and makes it compulsory for all persons suffering from venereal disease to undergo treatment at the hands of registered medical practitioners. The treatment of such cases by persons other than registered medical practitioners becomes an offence. BOARD OF SOCIAL HYGIENE. The first portion of the Bill provides for the creation of a Board of Social Hygiene and of local advisory boards. The Board of Social Hygiene will consist of the Chief Health Officer, the Deputy Chief Health Officer, one medical practitioner of each sex, registered under the Medical Practitioners Act, 1914, and one other person of each sex not being a medical practitioner. It will be the duty of this board'to advise the Minister of Public Health and to perform administrative functions under regulations.

The local advisory boards will be four in number. Each board will consist of a district health officer and three other members of each sex not being medical practitioners. COMMUNICABLE DISEASE. If the Minister has reason to believe, on the report of the Chief Health Officer and on such other evidence (if any) as he deems sufficient, that any person, being a prostitute or reputed prostitute, or ajierson habitually consorting with prostitutes, is suffering from any venereal disease, and that there is a danger of such disease being communicated to any other person or persons, ho may refer the matter to a local advisory board for consideration and report, with a view to the detention of the person, if such detention is considered advisable, in the interests of "public health. It shall thereupon be the duty of the local board to make all requisite inquiries and to make such recommendations as it thinks fit with respect to the exercise by the Minister of the powers conferred on him by this Act. For the purposes of inquiry the local board shall have all the powers of a commission appointed under the Commissions, of Inquiry Act, 1008. Any person in respect of whom such inquiry is being made may, by direction of the local board, be personally examined by a medical practitioner to be nominated by that board. The penalty for failure' to submit to examination will be a fine not exceeding £IOO or imprisonment not exceeding six months.

If the Minister is satisfied, after investigation bvji local board, that "a person is a prostitute or reputed prostitute, or habitually consorts with prostitutes, and is a source of danger to public health on account of venereal disease, he may apply to a Magistrate for an order committing the_ person to a prison hospital. Convicted prisoners may also be committed to a prison hospital if found to be suffering from venereal disease. Persons [may apply voluntarily for coipraittal to prison hospitals. The medical examination of women will ba conducted by women doctors unless the persons to'be examined request otherwise. PIUSON HOSPITALS. x Any place may be proclaimed a prison hospital for the purpgse of the Act. Persons committed to these hospitals will be discharged when certified by the controlling medical officer to be free from disease or no longer a danger to public i calth. Provisicfti is made for th.e maintenance of discipline in these hospitals and for the release on probation of in- . mates.

TREATMENT COMPULSORY. The second portion of the Bill deals with venereal disease in a more general way. Every person suffering from any venereal disease or who has reason to believe that ho is suffering from any such disease is required to consult a registered medical practitioner with respect thereto, and to place himself under treatment by that medical practitioner, or by. some other registered medical practitioner, or to attend for treatment at any hospital or other place available for the treatment of venereal diseases. The sufferer (male or female) must continue to accept treatment until certified to b» cured or free from the disease in a communicable form. The penalty for a breach of this portion of the Act will be a fine not exceeding £2O.

DUTIES OF DOCTORS. It will he the duty of the medical practitioner, in treating a case of venereal disease, to (a) direct the attention of the .patient to the infectious character of the disease, and to the penalties prescribed by the Act for infecting any other person with such disease; (b) warn the patient against contracting any marriage unless and until he has received a certificate under Section 23 hereof; and (o)' give to the patient such printed information relating to the treatment of venereal disease, and to the duties of persons suffering from such disease, as may be issued by the directions of the Minister of Public Health. Provision is made for the treatment of children, the parent or guardian being liable to pena jies for neglect to see that the treatment is provided.

PROTECTION OF FOOD. The Bill proposes to make it an offence for any person suffering from venereal disease to handle food intended for consumption by other persons in any factry, shop, hotel, restaurant, or other house, the penalty being a fine not exceeding £IOO, or imprisonment for twelve months. An employer becomes liable to fine if he knowingly permits any employee to offend in this respect. SUPPRESSION OF "QUACKS." The treatment of venereal disease by quacks renders them liable to a fine not exceeding £IOO, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year. The Government may prohibit the Sale or sup.ply or certain drugs except pursuant to •medical prescription. AN IMPORTANT CLAUSE. An important clause of the Bill reads as under:—"Every person who knowingly infects any other person with a venereal disease, or knowingly <!<>i's or permits or suffers any net likely to lead to the infection of any other person with anv •uch dings e, waunita «a eiigacg, ££ g»

liable, on summary conviction before a .Stipendiary Magistrate, to a fine nob exceeding £IOO, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months, or to both such fine and imprisonment." | HEALTH PATROLS. j I Another clause provides that the Minister of Public Health may appoint as health patrols such number of persons, of either sex, as he may consider necessary, whose duty it shall be. subject to I regulations in that behalf to be made under this Act, to protect the health and ! morality of young persons. Persona appointed under this section shall have and may exercise the powers of police constables, and shall be entitled to same protection and privileges in the performance of their duties as police con stables. WORK OF HOSPITAL BOARDS. Hospital boards may be required by the Minister to provide for the treatment of persons suffering from venereal disease. They will be entitled to receive from the Government by way of j subsidy 75 per cent, of the money expended on the treatment of these tases. i

The Bill provides that "No action shall lie against any person for anything done in good faith and with reasonable care in pursuance or intended pursuance of this A e t, or of any order, warrant, or regulation made or issued, or purporting to be made or issued, under this Act." POWERS OF THE MINISTER. The Minister of Public Health may arrange for the treatment of persons suffering from venereal disease otherwise than in a prison hospital; may arrange for clinical, chemical, bacteriological, and other examinations and investigations, to be made free of charge, for the purpose of ascertaining whether any person is suffering from or is cured of any venereal disease, or is free from any such disease in a communicable form; may make provision for the supply of information with reject of the nature, effects, and proper treatment of venereal diseases; and may encourage the establishment of associations for the purpose of checking the spread of venereal diseases, and of securing the proper treatment of persons suffering from any such disease, and may authorise the grant of subsidies, out of moneys appropriated by Parliament for the purpose, to any such association.