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From Dr. W. A. Bond
PUBLIC HEALTH.
136
7. Some discussion took place on the action of the London County Council in suggesting to the Ministry of Health that the salary of the Tuberculosis Officer, Battersea, should contain provision for a sliding scale to conform with the figure for the cost of living, especially as this figure was falling. The matter was referred to the Metropolitan Sub-Group. 8. Remuneration of Medical Officers of Local Authorities.--The Memorandum on this subject approved by the Council of the Society in September, 1920, was discussed, and it was resolved to ask the Council to reconsider it, and the Secretary was instructed to write the Executive Secretary to this effect. METROPOLITAN TUBERCULOSIS SUB-GROUP.
The fourth meeting of the Metropolitan Tuberculosis sub-group was held at the house of the Society on January 13th, Dr. H. Wilson in the chair. The meeting was chiefly occupied in discussing the provision of extra nourishment for tuberculous persons. Dr. G. T. Hebert's report on the " case sheets " used in London dispensaries was postponed to the next meeting.
CORRESPONDENCE.
The Editor does not accept resDonsibility for the o[~inions of corres~5ondents. P R E V E N T I O N OF V E N E R E A L D I S E A S E S . F r o m Dr. X~/. A. B O N D .
Dear Sir,--Although [ much esteem Lord Astor, and know how his attempted impartiality was impaired and imposed upon, a reply is required to his letter in the lay press, especially as prevention is not only more moral, but also enormously better and enormously cheaper than cu~e.
Lord Astor's astonishing assertion (and associated with him are the Ministry of Health and the National Council for Combating Venereal Diseases) is that self-disinfection has failed among the civilian population because intercourse does not take place under hygienic conditions, but often among ignorant and careless people who are either congenitally mentally deficient or imbecile or have so rendered themselves either permanently or temporarily by their own follies! Surely, the unhygenic conditions, ignorance and carelessness, urgently call for
FEBRUARY,
simple teaching respecting self-disinfectlon; and in the worst of the careless and vicious classes it is not a failure of self-disinfection, but a failure of its employment. Moreover, Lord Astor's assertion would apply also to the same classes among the military, and under the opportunist policy of the Ministry of Health would, with still further failure, apply to both the civilian and military population. Additional measures are, therefore, essential for their more effective prevention. The Society for the Prevention of Venereal Diseases realizes that nature's most powerful and imperious impulse of sex is not confined to the classes mentioned by Lord Astor, and that the terrible ravages caused by these diseases, so disastrous to the welfare of mankind, are not to be combatted by prudery and prejudice, ignorance, hypocrisy and cant, which still attempt to hide knowledge of their prevention. The dissemination of this knowledge is, moreover, very inexpensive. The Hotborn Borough Council last year provided 50,000 leaflets, " W h a t Every Man Should K n o w , " for less than one penny for ten. Any fairly intelligent youth or man can easily carry out the simple directions. Human machinery, however, like most other machinery, is not fool-proof. Directions for delayed self-disinfection, and respecting the special clinics for suspected or actual disease are, therefore, also given. Additional msthetic and other reasons in favour of prevention and against illogical, impractical, political policy of the Ministry of Health and the " Combatting " Council were given by me in the Lancet of February 12th, the July number of Public Health, and my evidence in the Report of the Special Venereal Disease Committee of the National Birth Rate Commission. Also, as correct teaching respecting continuance of the celibate, and moderation of the married, is most important, I su)mitted to the Special V;D. Committee a brief thesis thereon. W. A. BOND, M.A., M.D:, D.P.H. (Camb. 1.
The Lord Mayor of London has invited the President of the Society of Medical Officers of Health and his colleagues on the Council of the Society to a luncheon at the Mansion House on Friday, February 17th. The business meeting of the Council on that date will therefore commence at 11 a.m., and will be adjourned at 12.30 until 4p.m.
136
7. Some discussion took place on the action of the London County Council in suggesting to the Ministry of Health that the salary of the Tuberculosis Officer, Battersea, should contain provision for a sliding scale to conform with the figure for the cost of living, especially as this figure was falling. The matter was referred to the Metropolitan Sub-Group. 8. Remuneration of Medical Officers of Local Authorities.--The Memorandum on this subject approved by the Council of the Society in September, 1920, was discussed, and it was resolved to ask the Council to reconsider it, and the Secretary was instructed to write the Executive Secretary to this effect. METROPOLITAN TUBERCULOSIS SUB-GROUP.
The fourth meeting of the Metropolitan Tuberculosis sub-group was held at the house of the Society on January 13th, Dr. H. Wilson in the chair. The meeting was chiefly occupied in discussing the provision of extra nourishment for tuberculous persons. Dr. G. T. Hebert's report on the " case sheets " used in London dispensaries was postponed to the next meeting.
CORRESPONDENCE.
The Editor does not accept resDonsibility for the o[~inions of corres~5ondents. P R E V E N T I O N OF V E N E R E A L D I S E A S E S . F r o m Dr. X~/. A. B O N D .
Dear Sir,--Although [ much esteem Lord Astor, and know how his attempted impartiality was impaired and imposed upon, a reply is required to his letter in the lay press, especially as prevention is not only more moral, but also enormously better and enormously cheaper than cu~e.
Lord Astor's astonishing assertion (and associated with him are the Ministry of Health and the National Council for Combating Venereal Diseases) is that self-disinfection has failed among the civilian population because intercourse does not take place under hygienic conditions, but often among ignorant and careless people who are either congenitally mentally deficient or imbecile or have so rendered themselves either permanently or temporarily by their own follies! Surely, the unhygenic conditions, ignorance and carelessness, urgently call for
FEBRUARY,
simple teaching respecting self-disinfectlon; and in the worst of the careless and vicious classes it is not a failure of self-disinfection, but a failure of its employment. Moreover, Lord Astor's assertion would apply also to the same classes among the military, and under the opportunist policy of the Ministry of Health would, with still further failure, apply to both the civilian and military population. Additional measures are, therefore, essential for their more effective prevention. The Society for the Prevention of Venereal Diseases realizes that nature's most powerful and imperious impulse of sex is not confined to the classes mentioned by Lord Astor, and that the terrible ravages caused by these diseases, so disastrous to the welfare of mankind, are not to be combatted by prudery and prejudice, ignorance, hypocrisy and cant, which still attempt to hide knowledge of their prevention. The dissemination of this knowledge is, moreover, very inexpensive. The Hotborn Borough Council last year provided 50,000 leaflets, " W h a t Every Man Should K n o w , " for less than one penny for ten. Any fairly intelligent youth or man can easily carry out the simple directions. Human machinery, however, like most other machinery, is not fool-proof. Directions for delayed self-disinfection, and respecting the special clinics for suspected or actual disease are, therefore, also given. Additional msthetic and other reasons in favour of prevention and against illogical, impractical, political policy of the Ministry of Health and the " Combatting " Council were given by me in the Lancet of February 12th, the July number of Public Health, and my evidence in the Report of the Special Venereal Disease Committee of the National Birth Rate Commission. Also, as correct teaching respecting continuance of the celibate, and moderation of the married, is most important, I su)mitted to the Special V;D. Committee a brief thesis thereon. W. A. BOND, M.A., M.D:, D.P.H. (Camb. 1.
The Lord Mayor of London has invited the President of the Society of Medical Officers of Health and his colleagues on the Council of the Society to a luncheon at the Mansion House on Friday, February 17th. The business meeting of the Council on that date will therefore commence at 11 a.m., and will be adjourned at 12.30 until 4p.m.