V.D. MENACE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1922, Page 5

V.D. MENACE.

STEPS TO ARREST IT. SECRET TREATMENT SCHEME. PENALTIES FOR EVASION. By Telegraph.—Tress Association. Wellington, Last Night. The report of the committee of the Board of Health on venereal diseases in New Zealand was presented to the House of Representatives by the Minister of Health to-day. A comprehensive investigation has been made by the committee, of which the Hon. W. H. Triggs, M.L.C., was chairman, and important recommendations have been made. The detailed recommendations are as follow: The committee stresses in the strongest terms the duty of moral self-control. They urge the cultivation of a healthier state of public opinion. Parents have a great responsibility as regards the instruction and training of their children, so afc to safeguard them against, the dangers resulting from ignorance of the sexual laws. There is too little parental control generally in New Zealand. The committee recommend training teachers and making provision for giving appropriate instruction in schools. The classification and, where necessary, the segregation of mentally-defective adol-' escents are recommended. MEDICAL MEASURES. The following medical measures for preventing and combating the disease are recommended : Clinics should be made more available by being open continuously. Every effort should be made to secure privacy. A specially-trained nurse should be in attendance at women’s clinics, and women doctors should be secured where possible. The committee recommend that provision be made at clinics for prompt preventive treatment of those who have exposed themselves to affection. Lady patrols should be appointed in other centres to perform the kind of work that is being carried on in Christchurch. The committee are entirely opposed to the Continental system of licensed brothels or the revival of the C.D. Act in any 81181)9 SECRET NOTIFICATION. They recommend that legislation be introduced providing for what is known as conditional notification of venereal disease. It will be the duty of a doctor to notify the Health Department by a numI ber or symbol only each case of venereal I disease he treats.

Ilf the patient, however, refuses to continue treatment until cured, and will not } consult some other doctor or attend a clinic, it will then be the duty of the doctor last in attendance to notify the case to the department by name. If the patient continues recalcitrant, and refuses to allow himself to be examined by a medical practitioner appointed by the Director-General of Health, then the latter should be empowered to apply to a magistrate for the arrest of such person and his detention in a public hospital or other place for treatment until he is non-infective. The committee also recommend further provision to deal with cases in which persons suffering from venereal disease are not under medical treatment and are likely to infect others. If the Director-General of Health has reason to believe any person is so suffering he may call on that person to produce a medical certificate, which may be procured free of charge from any hospital or venereal disease clinic. If the person refuses to produce such a certificate, he or she may be taken before a magistrate, who may order medical examination. The penalties include detention in prison.

A hospital should be provided for recalcitrant cases. Proceedings in all these cases are to be heard in private unless the defendant desires a public hearing.

THE MARRIAGE ASPECT. The committee recommend that before a license to marry is issued the intending parties much sign a paper answering certain questions as to freedom from communicable disease and from mental disease, and must make a sworn statement that the answers to such questions are true. They recommend making venereal disease a ground for annulling a marriage contracted whilst one party is’ suffering from such a disease in an infectious stage, provided the other party was not informed of the fact prior to the marriage. Further, it should be the duty of a medical practitioner attending a case of venereal disease, if he has reason to believe that the patient intends to marry, to warn him or her against doing so; and if he or she persists, it should be the duty of the doctor to notify the case by name to the Director-General of Health, whose duty it should be to inform the other party or parents or guardian of such other party. Such a communication, made in good faith either by a doctor or the Director-General of Health, should be absolutely privileged.

The committee recommend the law prohibiting that the treatment of patients for venereal disease by unqualified persons shall be strengthened.