Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-04-24
LAW AIMED
AT PROSTITUTES
War Measure Designed to
Wipe Out Venereal Disease
Adopted in Augusta.

In an effort to wipe out venereal dis
eases in Augusta drastic measures, in
the form of an ordinance have been
adopted by the Board of Health. The
ordinance becomes effective at once.
Believing that venereaI diseases are
a serious menace to the development
and training of soldiers, and that it
tends towards rendering them iTeffi-
cient and unfit for service, it has been
deemed necessary that health laws be
enacted to eradicate Veneral diseases
in Augusta and to make this locality
an unpopular place for prostitutes.
The purpose of the ordinance as ex-
planned in the caption of that article
is as follows:
ITO require reporting to the Board
of Health of yenereal Diseases; to re-
quire patients to give information in
respect thereto; to require the inves-
LEGATION of such cases; to provide for
the protection of other persons from
infection by yenereally diseases per-
sons; to provide for isolation for VEN
orally infected persons, and for the
removal of such isolation; to provide
the conditions under which the name
of the patient is required to be report
ed; to prohibit druggists from pre-
scribing for venereal diseases; to
make it unlawful to spread venereal
diseases; to prohibit the giving of
certificates of freedom from venereal
diseases; to provide for health records
in respect to venereaI diseases to be
kept secret except such as attend the
performance of this ordinance laws of
the state"
Far-Reaching.
The ordinance is far reaching in its
provisions, and is intended to curb the
spreading of venereal diseases on all
sides One of the prime objects of the
law is to provide for the isolation,
when deemed necessary, of persons
suffering from venereaI diseases The
health officers shall designate the linn
its of the area in which the person Is
to be isolated, and no persons except
the attending physician shall enter or
leave the isolated area without the
permission of the president of the
Board of Health. Persons will be kept
in isolation until the danger of infec-
tion is passed.
The Board of Health and it's officers
are to use every available means to
ascertain the existence of Venereal dis
eases, such as making examinations
of persons suspected of suffering from
such diseases.
Druggists Cannot Prescribe.
The ordinance also provides that no
druggist other than a licensed physi-
clan shall prescribe or recommend
drugs, medicines or other substances
for the alienation of venereal diseases
and shall not compound medicines or
drugs from any written formula or or
der not written for the person for
whom the medicines are compounded
and not signed by licensed physi-
clan.
Section 10 of the ordinances says:
at shah be d violation OF the of3i-
nance for any infected person to know
ingly expose any other person to in
lection with any of said yenereal dis
eases or for any person TO perform
any act which exposes another person
to infection"
Section IA of the ordinance says
that: ANY person who shall violate
any of the provisions of this ordinance
shall be sentenced by the recorder Of
the city Of Augusta to pay a fine not
in excess of 500 or to labor upon the
public works or to be confined in the
city Stockade not in excess of 80 days"
Other sections of the ordinance are
relative to- the duties Of the physi-
clans in regard to cases that come I'M
der their observation and treatment or
in regard to gathering information in
connection with such cases.
DR. C. w. Stiles, speaking in refer
ence to the law, has spoken in part as
follows: "A prostitute is virtually
member of the kaiser's army. This
al