The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-21
The Prevalence of VenereaI
Diseases.

There mas been much, hyost ertoaI
ak ABOUT the danger to Young girls
IN the vicinity of army camps and
cantonments The greater danger. as
those charged with the effort 10 con
troF' Venereal disease In the service
see #, is 10 young soldiers and sailors
from the professional and serni-pro-
fasslonal prostitutes who in almost
every other army in the world and in
our own until quite recently have had
almost unchecked access to the en-
listed men. The problem OF protect
ing the military and civil population
alike from the spread Of venereaI
diseases is so big that the Rutborf-
ties AT Washington are trying to en-
list the aid of all good citizens in
the effort 10 solve H. The public can
supply the aid necessary to n com
plete solution but II cannot J. . an
less 1t knows the facts The facts.
however, are sufficiently startling TO
arouse even the most apatheIc com
muntty. once they are known.
Because few outside the medical
profession know much about the
prevalence % venereal diseases. let
me- quote few general statements.
on the authority Of the New York
city depa rtment Of health
There is as much syphilis as tn.
berCulosis in this country today
About 5000 persons die in New York
city each year as result of syphilis
and it's omplicatiocs Nearly a third
~ the serious operations upon women
are necessa ry because OF gono-rhes-
syphilis is the cause Of from 10 ia
81 per cent Of all insanity syphilis
Is transmissible 10 the offspring and
~
SO objected. syphilis ia the cause OF
iocomotor ataxia. Of pares,s or soft
ening Of the brain, Of opoplectfc and
psralytic strokes in early life. OF
nearly half the abortions and mis-.
carriages. and Of a Irage proportion
Of diseases Of the heart. blood YES.
sells IA many other or the vital or
gans Gonorrhea Ia the most preva.
lent OF all diseases except measles
It la responsible for from 5000 to
10,000 cases Of blindness In the
United States. 1t IL the cause OF so
per cent of the blindness OF the new
born ard of more than 10 per cent OF
all blindness, II is the cause Of so
per. cent of sterility ma Of many
chronic diseases Of the Joints, blsd
der, and generative organs"
On the same authority II Is stated
fNNA
sons have some form ~ syphilittc in
lection and that eight ont .ot avery
ten men ana Ave out of every ten
women in New York city have had
gonorrhea. at least once!
More soldiers Of one ~ the allied
armies have been rendered ineffec-
tive through yenersal disease, at GER
tain periods, than through wounds
rec fs.ed ia - tt1e
AS in The United States appru~ss
ma't-g s'Sc caal st the population
of the British Isles was syphilitic be-
fore the war began, Medical author
tiles estimate that unless the present
rate OF spread OF the disease is d.
ninished, 80 PER cent will be in
fected before the war is over.
Syphilis and gonorrhea have
spread so rapidly in Canada, through
soldiers returning from the front.
that public discussion Of the subject
is. now permitted for the first time
End repressive measures are being
introduced. as they are in England.
where the former attitude of indif-
ference has given placs 10 genuine
alarm Frank Parker Stockbridge IN
the Worxola WoriE for March,