- Email: [email protected]
Ministry of health
PUBLIC
1918.
disease in some f o r m or another. I n his opinion, t h e r e was a l w a y s a g r e a t deal of concealment, and the hospital records were therefore far below the m a r k of a c t u a l infections. I n his opinion there were twice the number or o~ficers concealing the disease as there were reporting it, a n d to get at the a c t u a l n u m b e r of infections in o t h e r ranks, he firmly believed the official figures should be doubled. This wholesale c o n c e a l m e n t could not occur if medical officers held weekly venereal disease inspections which really c o v e r e d e v e r y m a n in the unit, p r o v i d e d of course the medical officer k n e w his w o r k c o m p e t e n t l y , and t o o k a k e e n interest in it. W h a t was true of the Canadian Forces was true of other Colonial f o r c e s - - i n fact, some of these, he believed, had a higher r a t e of infection t h a n the Canadians. C a p t a i n W a l k e r strongly urged the free dist r i b u t i o n of p r o p h y l a c t i c p a c k e t s to women, a n d he suggested t h a t the public authorities in F r a n c e should see t h a t in e v e r y licensed house calomel-tubes were supplied free, also pot. p e r m a n g . , vaseline, etc., and a b o v e all t h a t an irrigation i o o m be connected with e v e r y licensed house. This was especially necessary in the small cities and townships. P r o v i d e d the houses were p r o p e r l y run, as in Paris, there Was no disease f r o m t h e m , b u t where t h e y were b a d l y run, as in some places, diseases resulted. lit was entirely a m a t t e r of c o m p e t e n t administration. H e h a d himself been medical officer in a t o w n of some ioo,ooo people where licensed houses were established, and venereal disease was p r a c t i c a l l y e x t i r p a t e d . M I N I S T R Y OF H E A L T H . At the recent annual meeting of the Panel Medico-Political Union, the retiring President, in his Presidential address, made the following reference to the Ministry of Health Bill : - - " Our Council have had the question of the proposed Ministry of Health under discussion frequently, and they regret to learn t h a t the Bill to establish the same does not include the medical services connected with the Ministry of Pensions or the Ministry of Education. T h i s is a matter of some concern to us, since insurance practitioners come up against these two services at every turn and almost daily, as represented by the school doctor and the Pensions Committee. I t is exceedingly cumbersome and confusing to have to take into consideration regulations from more than one authority. We shall, I hope, use all our influence to bring pressure to bear upon these bodies to ~dthdraw their opposition."
HEALTH. PREVENTION
135 O F VENERJ~;AI, D I S E A S E .
THE ATTITUDE OF T~IE NATIONAl,COUNCILFOR COMBATING VENEREAL DISEASE. We h a v e received f r o m Miss E t t i e R o u t the following letters for p u b l i c a t i o n : MAJOR DAR%VIN, Hon. Treasurer, National Council for Combating Venereal Disease.
DEAR MAJORDARWIN, Please accept m y thanks for your prompt reply to m y letter regarding advertisements now being inserted b y the National Council (appealing for funds for the " prevention " of venereal diseases, etc.), and referring me to the published announcements of the policy of the Council, namely, the Second Annual Report, June, I 9 I 7. You m a y not be aware t h a t in the middle of I 9 I 7 I had some interviews and correspondence with different administrative officers of the Council, and found tllem not only hostile and obstructive, but actually grossly misinformed on the subject of medical prevention. Your advertisements, appealing for funds to be sent to yourself, suggested that some advancement had been made, but evidently such is not the case, and I therefore beg to call your attention to the following facts : - I. The National Council claims to be " combating "' venereN disease, whereas the Council is actually fighting against the combating of venereal disease by medical means. This is clearly shown by the following extracts from the Second Annual Report : (a) " As regards prophylaxis, we advocate the provision of facilities for the earliest possible treatment, but we do not approve of artificial prophylaxis. VVe are decidedly opposed to it now and, I hope, for all time. What we do advocate is moral prophylaxis in every possible form--religious, educational, and social." (The Policy of the National Council, by Sir Malcolm Morris, page 22.) (b) " I t was decided t h a t it was undesirable for the Council to take steps in the direction of a campaign in favour of prophylactic teaching. Subsequently, the Executive Committee passed the two following resolutions, which expressed the attitude of a large majority of those present in regard to this matter : I. That a distinction can be drawn between prophylaxis and early treatment. 2. T h a t for the present at least it would be unwise for the National Council to go beyond the proposals of the Royal Commission." (Special Questions of Policy---Prophylaxis, page 31.) 2. One of your aims and objects is stated to be :
1918.
disease in some f o r m or another. I n his opinion, t h e r e was a l w a y s a g r e a t deal of concealment, and the hospital records were therefore far below the m a r k of a c t u a l infections. I n his opinion there were twice the number or o~ficers concealing the disease as there were reporting it, a n d to get at the a c t u a l n u m b e r of infections in o t h e r ranks, he firmly believed the official figures should be doubled. This wholesale c o n c e a l m e n t could not occur if medical officers held weekly venereal disease inspections which really c o v e r e d e v e r y m a n in the unit, p r o v i d e d of course the medical officer k n e w his w o r k c o m p e t e n t l y , and t o o k a k e e n interest in it. W h a t was true of the Canadian Forces was true of other Colonial f o r c e s - - i n fact, some of these, he believed, had a higher r a t e of infection t h a n the Canadians. C a p t a i n W a l k e r strongly urged the free dist r i b u t i o n of p r o p h y l a c t i c p a c k e t s to women, a n d he suggested t h a t the public authorities in F r a n c e should see t h a t in e v e r y licensed house calomel-tubes were supplied free, also pot. p e r m a n g . , vaseline, etc., and a b o v e all t h a t an irrigation i o o m be connected with e v e r y licensed house. This was especially necessary in the small cities and townships. P r o v i d e d the houses were p r o p e r l y run, as in Paris, there Was no disease f r o m t h e m , b u t where t h e y were b a d l y run, as in some places, diseases resulted. lit was entirely a m a t t e r of c o m p e t e n t administration. H e h a d himself been medical officer in a t o w n of some ioo,ooo people where licensed houses were established, and venereal disease was p r a c t i c a l l y e x t i r p a t e d . M I N I S T R Y OF H E A L T H . At the recent annual meeting of the Panel Medico-Political Union, the retiring President, in his Presidential address, made the following reference to the Ministry of Health Bill : - - " Our Council have had the question of the proposed Ministry of Health under discussion frequently, and they regret to learn t h a t the Bill to establish the same does not include the medical services connected with the Ministry of Pensions or the Ministry of Education. T h i s is a matter of some concern to us, since insurance practitioners come up against these two services at every turn and almost daily, as represented by the school doctor and the Pensions Committee. I t is exceedingly cumbersome and confusing to have to take into consideration regulations from more than one authority. We shall, I hope, use all our influence to bring pressure to bear upon these bodies to ~dthdraw their opposition."
HEALTH. PREVENTION
135 O F VENERJ~;AI, D I S E A S E .
THE ATTITUDE OF T~IE NATIONAl,COUNCILFOR COMBATING VENEREAL DISEASE. We h a v e received f r o m Miss E t t i e R o u t the following letters for p u b l i c a t i o n : MAJOR DAR%VIN, Hon. Treasurer, National Council for Combating Venereal Disease.
DEAR MAJORDARWIN, Please accept m y thanks for your prompt reply to m y letter regarding advertisements now being inserted b y the National Council (appealing for funds for the " prevention " of venereal diseases, etc.), and referring me to the published announcements of the policy of the Council, namely, the Second Annual Report, June, I 9 I 7. You m a y not be aware t h a t in the middle of I 9 I 7 I had some interviews and correspondence with different administrative officers of the Council, and found tllem not only hostile and obstructive, but actually grossly misinformed on the subject of medical prevention. Your advertisements, appealing for funds to be sent to yourself, suggested that some advancement had been made, but evidently such is not the case, and I therefore beg to call your attention to the following facts : - I. The National Council claims to be " combating "' venereN disease, whereas the Council is actually fighting against the combating of venereal disease by medical means. This is clearly shown by the following extracts from the Second Annual Report : (a) " As regards prophylaxis, we advocate the provision of facilities for the earliest possible treatment, but we do not approve of artificial prophylaxis. VVe are decidedly opposed to it now and, I hope, for all time. What we do advocate is moral prophylaxis in every possible form--religious, educational, and social." (The Policy of the National Council, by Sir Malcolm Morris, page 22.) (b) " I t was decided t h a t it was undesirable for the Council to take steps in the direction of a campaign in favour of prophylactic teaching. Subsequently, the Executive Committee passed the two following resolutions, which expressed the attitude of a large majority of those present in regard to this matter : I. That a distinction can be drawn between prophylaxis and early treatment. 2. T h a t for the present at least it would be unwise for the National Council to go beyond the proposals of the Royal Commission." (Special Questions of Policy---Prophylaxis, page 31.) 2. One of your aims and objects is stated to be :