The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-06-04
THE BLACK PLAGUE.

III. Alden Williams of Grand Rap
Ids, Mich, has an article in the cur
rent Iowa Health Bulletin on the
black plague" that should have wide
publicity In it he argues for frank
ness and plain speaking, to the end
that the magnitude of the evil be
generally recognized and systematic
EFFORT be made to stamp it out, as is
being done In the case of tubercu-
losis, known as the white plague"
Dr.. Williams suggests that perhaps
one reason why this subject has not
received the attention it deserves is
its very extensiveness. It touches
every rank and grade of society; it
goes into the home and drags out the
family skeleton. 1t is more than a
scientific or even an economic qnes-
ton; it presses problems OF right and
wrong. 1t even harks back into nys-
terious heredity and reaches forward
toward wierd sexual psychology.
1t is admitted that this new fight is
harder than the fight against consump-
ton because the sentiment toward
secrecy and concealment is stronger
Those who are advocating an educa-
tional campaign realize that there are
logical difficulties. Educational meth
DDS, DR.. Williams points out, mean
publicity. Venereal diseases are the
diseases which above all others are
concealed from public knowledge.
The motive of concealment is born of
the idea that there is always some
associated error in morals and is EN-
phasized by the elements of shame
with which these diseases are credited
by popular prejudice. The public in
It's conventional narrowness toward
venereal misfortune does not know
| that over one-half of all venereal pa
tients are morally innocent victims
1t is this innocent majority that makes
logically for a policy of open cam.
paigning. The main division N the
| propaganda army sent out against the
yenereal plague is the statistical
phalanx. Some of the figures will nc
doubt astonish the uniformed Tie
state board of health of Vernon,
says:
ut Is estimated that so per cent o.
all deaths from pelvic diseases ii
women are due to gonorrhea-20 PEI
cent of blindness In children, 80 pei
cent of childless marriages. At pres
ent there are 100000 cases in New
York City alone"
Typhoid cost Germany in 1904, &
yearly loss Of $4,000 ,o00 venereaI dis
eases, $24, 000, 600. Lassar has stated
that Berlin must own that 20 Per cen
of her population ere tainted viii
syphilis.
DIR. Robert N. Wilson at PhilsG,siphi;
County Society in March, 1906. read
paper on venereal preyalence ant
said of the 100000 young men nm
der thirty years of age in Aolerie;
statistics seem to point toward 50 pc
cent being infected with yenereal dis
eases before their thirtieth year.
In regard to syphilis an editorial Il
the Americal Medical Journal state
that probably 5.000,oo people of tn
United States are tainted.
al tdrtSIu dutnOiiIf III Ills DOC
on venereal diseases states that Z
per cent or more OF the male populs
ton suffer from gonorrhea and 5 t
is per cent from syphilis. Statistic
quoted by DR.. Baker, Elmira. ". Y
place the per cent of forever uncure
gonorrhea at 1919 per cent in bot
men and women No statistics CO
measure the destructiveness of the:
|, diseases. Death rates indicate bnt
, fraction OF the terrible consequence
that often follow them. Death is in
: pressiye as warning, but the no
{ rible mutilations and Disagreement
of neglected syphilis are much MOI
J to be feared. The most hopelessly di
: tressing results are experienced in ii
late outcroppings or in the yenere
| perpetuation in another generation.