Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-06-19
TO MAKE WAR ON
SOCIAL DISEASES
DR.. A. J. M'LAuoHLlN. REPRE-
sENTiNe FEDERAL HEALTH
SERVICE. TO OPEN CLINIC.
PATIENTS WITH vENEREAL
DISEASES TREATED FREE
Educational, campaisn Under Jeint
Direction Of Stat. and National
Health Boards 10 Be Part Of Cam.
,paisn- Campaign TO pc Hroush, to
Physicians Attention Tonight.

stepped into the city to control and
stamp out venereai diseases. II has
sent TO this city DR.. A. ]. Mclaughlin,
who represents the bureau OF the pub
lie health service OF the treasury de-
partment. who IL to remain here for a
number Of weeks TO take charge Of the
local situation. He win open a clinic
and dispensary for yenereal diseases
and will conduct an educational cam
paign against the diseases. with the
assistance OF the city health depart
ment and city Physician A. B. Con-
away. -
Arrangements for tho opening Of a
clinic and dispensary will be made
WITHIN . day or two. The clinic will
be free, and those who arc not allie to
pay win be supplied with medt:ines
free. Others who ara able win have to
pay for the medicines received.
One Of the firzt moves in the en-
forcement OF the state law rega riding
the control Of the diseases and the in
ternment of patients will be q meet
ing DR.. MoLAughNn will hold with the
Marshall County Medical Association
"Wednesday night An effort win be
made to stir the physicians up to the
necessity Of reporting yenereh cases
treated.
Has Government Authority.
Dr.. mclaughlin, who was formerly
q practicing physician Of Sioux City, Is
conducting this campaign iii Iowa. with
both the authority OF the federal puD-
lie health service and the iowa state
board Of health. His authority from
the LATTER body is contained In tile fol-
bwing letter.
Des Moines. Iowa, June 1. 1913.
To the mayors, health officers ana tho
general public. q
State OF iowa: The bearer az this
letter, DR.. A. ]. Mclaughlin, COM
n1issioned officer OF the United States
public health service, is in the employ
'of the United States public health
service and the Iowa state board OF
health.
He has full power ana authority to
aid all communities in the state Of
Iowa In the establishing Of clinics in
the communities of Iowa where needed
for the treatment OF venereal diseases,
syphilis, gonorrhea and chancroid.
All the cities and officials in the
state Of Iowa are hereby directed by
order of the governor, the attorney
general and the Iowa state board of
health, to render Iall the assistance
possible to DR.. "A. J. McI augtilin IN
establishing clinics for the treatment
Of said venereal diseases, and further.
all officials are hereby directed to obey
any orders which may be given by
said DR.. A. ]. Mclaughlin, III order
that venereal diseases may be elimin-
ated and all prostitutes ah1icted in
termed in order to keep them from
spreading said venereal diseases.
(signed) Iowa State Board Of Health.
by Guilford II. Sumner, secretary
executive officer.
Sends Letter to Iowa.
The following letter addressed by
Surgeon General Rupert Blue, Of tho
public health service, Washington,
D. c.. to the people Of Iowa, introduced
DIR. Mclaughlin and gives his author
ity. The letter reads:
Physicians have known for many
years that the Venereal diseases were
preventable, but it is only since the
present great war that they have made
serious collective effort to control
them by the same means which arc
successfully used to control other con-
tagious diseases-that is by preventive
measures. The reason for this delay
has been because the public has never
before fully realized the damage which
these diseases cause. The war depart
ment has now shown all of US the Sc
riousness Of this problem, by stating
it in terms Of military inefficiency OF
thousands OF soldiers due to this cause
alone
AS a result OF this new knowledge
the public is thoroughly aroused and is
cooperating in a statewide campaign
for the elimination of these diseases.
This is evidenced by the fact that
thirty-five states have passed laws for
the effective control Of, gonorrhea,
chancroids. and syphilis, which are the
three great venereal diseases. Iowa is
one Of these states. The United States
public health service is CO. operating
with the state health department Of
Iowa in an effort to organize your
state so that the very excellent regula-
tons which you have formulated may
be wisely ard uniformly enforced.
In this campaign DR.. A. ]. Nc
Laughlin is the official representative,
both Of the federal and state health