Arizona republican., 1918-02-15

Proper precautions Will be taken by l the board of health to prevent persons | infected with venereal diseases from ! handling food, acting as barbers, or en- gazing in any occupations where they i are likely to infect others.
 The state board reserves the right 1 to decide in all cases whether a patient ! is sufficiently cured before being dis i charged from quarantine. In short, venereal diseases are here i after to take their proper place as se- rious contag gious diseases, and to be treated like smallpox, meningitis, and similar diseases. The conspiracy of silence" has been broken, and hypocrisy and false modesty win no longer be al lowed to endanger the health of sol diers and civilians in Arizona.
 Physicians Are Regulated | Anyone. physician or layman. who violates in anyway the regulations of the. board of health. or fails to give due aid in suppressing contagion. is liable 1 under the law to fine of $50, or 30 days in jail, or both. ior. W. O. Sweek, state superintendent of public health, states that the regulations will be en- forced to the letter. It is believed that the medical profession will give hearty cooperation and laymen who 1 fail to do so will be given summary l VI CobihCiit, eCCOIu lO Di CN tch. | " enereal diseases are absolutely preventable diseases" said Dr. Sweek | last night. "The mode of infection is known, and theoretically there is notll- ing to prevent them being absolutely wiped out. The measure which we have adopted was urged by the sur 2eon general of the army, the Surgeon general of the United States Public Health service, and the Council of Ma tional Defense. It is a war measure; nevertheless it will be of vastly more benefit to the state than it will be to the army. Few-~people have even. the slightest idea of the prevalence and seriousness of these diseases.
 Tt Is well known that they are es- pecially common in our Mexican popu- 1 latiOn. In the army, venereal disease is perhaps not more than 25 per cent as common as among civilians, thanks to the intelligent preventive measures used by military surgeons. But every soldier who is incapacitated from these diseases may represent a cash loss of not less than s1,500. Surgeon General Blue whote me that venereal disease represents the greatest medical prob lem the army has on hand, and l am informed that there is more such dis ease among the troops in Arizona than in most parts of the United States.
 Wilf Go operate With Army
 We are going to try to do every thing the war department asks us to do, in cutting down this menace to military efficiency. When the situa- tion is understood. l believe all the loyal citizens of the state will help us ac- lively. One of the most effective things a pro-German can do will be to oppose this campaign of preventive medicine which the war department considers so important
 Speaking of the great damage which European armies have sustained from venereal disease during the present war, Lieutenant Popenoe said last night: According to an official state ment, the Austrian army during the first two years of war sustained tenn porary losses amounting to 50 divi- sions, of more than million men, from venereal disease alone. If these men could have been kept in the firing line, their presence might easily have changed Austria's situation in the war. Germany, France and England have kept their venereal losses secret, but we know that they nave been stag gering
 Abroad, it is hardly possible to paint the picture too black. Fortunately the American army has so far been able to http lucSc ulStdSto W AtIllIl DOu1US, UQt soldiers with chronic cases which they contracted in America will get abroad and there go to pieces. To prevent this we are obliged to depend on the loyalty of the civilian communities in America, in combating venereal disease at home.
 Eventually all the states will un- doubtedly adopt measures similar to those which the Arizona Board of Health has just promulgated; but by taking such prompt action Arizona goes among the foremost. The move is statesmanlil1e one, and if the !citi- Zens of the state can even half realize what a menace the venereal diseases are to the army, they will give the board of health and the war depart ment active assistance in wipinG out the sources of infection.
 Those who must stay at home ant want to do their bit can do nothing more effective than to help protect tho soldiers from these dangerous con tagious diseases