THE RED SCOURGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 August 1922, Page 5

THE RED SCOURGE.

AUCKLAND DOCTORS’ VIEWS. EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMITTEE By Telegraph -Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The Venereal Diseases Committee took evidence here to-day. Dr. Falconer Browne, officer in charge of the Auckland clinic, said he considered compulsory notification, while excellent in theory, was open to question. Prophylaxis, which proved of great value in the army, was a thoroughly desirable measure, but at present public opinion would probably not countenance it. Clinics should be installed in all moderate sized towns, with accommodation for in-patients. Dr. Hilda Northcrpft, representing the National Council of Women, said the causes were lack of home training and parental control. She suggested the remedies were compulsory treatment of all infected persons, the prevention of treatment by others than duly qualified medical practitioners, making it an offence to communicate the disease to another person, wide extension of educative measures and, as a measure of desperation in the meantune, prophjdaxis. Dr. Frank Macky, venereal disease specialist, was of opinion that the provision in the Social Hygiene Act forbidding other than medical practitioners to treat the disease was non-effective, because of publicity in the event of a prosecution accruing to witnesses. He considered the use of prophylaxis an extremelv efficient preventative, but the public would not tolerate open advocacy of this method at the present stage.