Reporting of venereal diseases

PUBLIC

1913.

school from h o m e s w h e r e infectious diseaseexisted, H e did. n o t agree with Dr. M a n l e y ' s d i c t u m in regard to the absolute necessity of a school medical inspector h a v i n g had a great previous experience i n general p r a c t i c e ; he t h o u g h t t h a t years s p e n t in g a i n i n g this experience would be largely a w a s t e of time if they were merely prep a r a t o r y to t a k i n g up a school a p p o i n t m e n t . Da. HAmLTON WOOD briefly replied on some of the points raised.

APPOINTMENTS. DR, WM. ANGUS has been appointed assistant medical officer ef health for the City of Leeds. DR. J. J. I~ucttAN has been appointed medical officer of health for Bradford: DR. W. L. BURGESShas been appointed chief tuberculosis officer for the City of Dundee. DR. A. G. CALD~VELL has been appointed one of the assistant tuberculosis officers for the County of Durham. Dm A. G. R. CAMERONhas been appointed assistant and deputy county medical officer of health of Durham. DR. A. A. GROSVENORhas been appointed medical officer of health of Stevenage U.D. DR. T. SHADIGK HIGGINS, of Birmingbam, has been appointed medical officer of health of St. Paneras. DR. ERNEST HILL, formerly health officer for the Colony of Natal, has been appointed medical officer of health for the municipality of East London, South Africa. DR. C. W. HUTT, M A., M.D., D P.H., has been appointed senior s_hool doctor of the County Borough of ]3righton. DR. O. W. N. JosEPH has been appointed medical officer of health for Warrington. Dl~. D. F. MACRAEhas been appointed one eI the assistant tuberculosis officers for the County of Durham. DR. G. J. M. MAR'rtNhas been appointed assisiant school medical officer of Portsmouth. Da. W. G. M. Mr~NROE, of Maidenhead, has been appointed consulting tuberculosis medical officer for the County of Middlesex. DR. E. D. PA~aSONShas been appointed assistant tuberculosis officer for Northampton. De. N. C. PATRICK, Of Glenavy, has been appointed tuberculosis officer for the County of Antrim. DR. ~k. B. RAFFLE has been appointed school medical officer under the Durham County Education Autbority. Da. R. D. S~IEDL~'~"has been appo!nted county medical officer of health of West Sussex, Da. D. M. TAYLOR,school medical officer at Halifax, has been appointed resident medical offÉcer at lhe Sanatorium for Cpnsumptives, about to be established by the Corporation at Shelf. DR. D. T. TOmaENShas been reappointed medical officer of health to the Market Rasen U.D.C. DR. ENID ~VAL'£ERShas been appointed school medical officer for Bromley. DR. A, C. VV~ATKII~ ", Of the Brompton Hospital for Consumption, has been appointed tuberculosis medical officer to the Salop County Council, DK. ADAMWroTE has been appointed tuberculosis medical officer for Herefordshire. DR. C. L. WILLIAMSON has been appointed one of the assistant tuberculosis officers for the County of Durham. Dm L. A M. WILSON has been appointed assistant medical officer by the Edinbmgh School Board. Da. W. T. WOOD,Of Creswelt, has been appointed medical officer tQ the Blyth and Cuckney R.D.C, Dm WM. Y~A'rES, of Neville's Cross, Durham, has been appointed by the Tynemouth Town Council clinical tuberculosis officer and assistant medical officer of health.

HEALTH. REPORTING

261 OF VENEREAL

DISEASES.

E D e p a r t m e n t of H e a l t h has u n d e r t a k e n an T H extensive st'udy of the venereal diseases in N e w York City a n d is desirous of o b t a i n i n g as full inform a t i o n as possible as to the p r e v a l e n c e of these diseases. B y v i r t u e of the resolution of the B o a r d of H e a l t h of the City of N e w York, d a t e d F e b r u a r y 20, 1912 , the s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s of all public i n s t i t u tions have been r e q u i r e d since M a y i, 1912, to report p r o m p t l y all cases of syphilis, chancroid or g o n o r r h e a l infection c o m i n g u n d e r o b s e r v a t i o n . All p h y s i c i a n s were requested to f u r n i s h similar i n f o r m a t i o n c o n c e r n i n g their private p a t i e n t s (omitting n a m e a n d address), b u t no a t t e m p t was made at t h a t time to reach every physician in the city. Cases reported by prPgate p h y s i c i a n s will be filed by case n u m b e r , which will be given the physician for future identification, w h e n his report is acknowledged. A s u p p l y of report cards to be used for this purpose will be forwarded on request. All i n f o r m a t i o n is regarded as a b s o l u t e l y confidential a n d is not accessible to the p u b l i c nor are the records deemed public records. T h e D e p a r t m e n t of H e a l t h makes, w i t h o u t charge, the W a s s e r m a n n test for the diagnosis of syphilis, a n d also provides facilities for the free bacteriological e x a m i n a t i o n of discharges for the diagnosis of gonorrhceal infections. Outfits, with full directions for o b t a i n i n g specimens, can be had free at a n y of the departm e n t s u p p l y stations, a list of which will be mailed on application. A diagnosis clinic for venereal diseases is held daily b e t w e e n 9 a n d i o a.m. at t h e c e n t r a l office of the D e p a r t m e n t of H e a l t h at C e n t r e a n d W a l k e r streets, where p a t i e n t s m a y be referred by p h y s i c i a n s for the performance of the W a s s e r m a n n re-action a n d for e x a m i n a t i o n of fresh specimens for t h e presence of t r e p o n e m a . No

~balients are examined ~mless referred by ~bhysicians (excepting those who h a v e no physicians), a n d u n d e r n o c i r c u m s t a n c e s are the results of e x a m i n a tions reported to the patients. A similar clinic is held at 307 W e s t 33rd-street on W e d n e s d a y evenings, b e t w e e n 8 a n d 9 p.m., for the benefit of a p p l i c a n t s unable to a t t e n d d u r i n g the day.

FOOD AND CONTAGIOUS DISEASEs.--Dr. H . R. B u r i t t , the school medical officer of N e w p o r t , Men., reports that a boy suffering from ringworm, who was too b u s y to a t t e n d the clinic for treatment, was employed in the delivery of bread, a n d that two brothers suffering from c o n t a g i o u s skin disease were engaged in s u p p l y i n g p a s t r y to the public. BI