Mohave County miner., 1918-01-26

has been undertaken by the federal government through the surgeon gen eral of the United States and the gov ernment health authorities. | Preliminary plans for this most i'm portant work have been received by Dr. w. O. Sweek, Arizona superinten- dent of public health, from Rupert Blue, surgeon general of the United States public health service. Coop eration of all state, county, city and village officials is asked in this vital campaign, one of the most important that ever has confronted the public.
 Without delay, the plan of campaign for the check and combating of this physical evil was put in motion by Dr. Sweek, to the effect that he was able to reply to the telegram of the surgeon general as follows:
 Washington, D. c.
 Within six hours after your plan arrived venereal diseases were made reportable and put in the same legal status as smallpox, scarlet fever and diptheria.
 ''The public health department of Arizona has the authority under the state law and stands ready to enforce any measures desired by the United States public health authorities. This ruling became effective at 3:30 p. m., January II, 1918.
 The plan of secretly reporting these diseases by number will probably serve to meet and satisfy any antag- onisrh that the public might have against this measure.
 "W. O. SWEEK. State Superintendent of Public
 Health"
 Statistics submitted by the United States public health service in regard to the prevalence of venereal diseases in the country and which long have been in possession of the medical frat ernity but not appreciated by the gen. eraI public, are astonishing and alarm ing.
 With the entry of the United States into the war and the raising of a mammoth army, this question has been brought forward with deter imitation to disregard false modesty and arouse the people to a sense of proper realization of the extent of these diseases and to a concerted cam paign to control and reduce their prev alence.
 l With the assembling of so many thousands of men in cantonments throughout the country at the present time an unusual opportunity has been given for the securing of data con- corning the extent of venereal diseases and much information of great value has been secured which will enable the federal authorities to go far in their campaign to control them. Also some hitherto well regarded theories have been proven untrue.
 For instance, it has been stated, ap- parently on good information, that venereal diseases were more preva- lent in the army than without. Figures secured recently show that more of those diseases have been brought into the army than originated there. How ever, that does not lessen the fact of an astonishing prevalence of venereal diseases in the army.
 Statistics from 31 cantonments show that in the regular army there were, from September q to December of last year, 8S cases of venereal diseases to the 1000. Of other com municable diseases, 13.4 to the 1000. In the national guard, venereal dis eases, 115.2 to the 1000; other dis eases, 39.8 to 1000. In the national army, recruited, venereal diseases, 1924 to the 1000; other diseasesJ 23.8 to the 1000. In all armies, 121.9 to the 1000 of venereal diseases, and 25.7 to the 1000 of other diseases.
 During the twelve weeks ending De- cember 2, 1917, at the 31 cantonments there were developed 21,742 new cases Of these diseases, each requiring from one to eight weeks in the hospitals and costing the government more money than it was required to main tain the whole cantonment at Camp Dix during the same period.
 It is stated that the treatment of venereal disease in the new army is costing one-fifteenth of the entire ex- pense of the army. It also is stated that hundreds of these cases, after having been treated here, will relapse, possibly when the army is in France, and that it will cost the government l $500 to care for each case.
 As a proof that more of these dis eases are brought into the army than originate therein, figures are exhibit ed by the United States health service showing that on September 28, of men just arrived at the cantonmeht there were 19z cases to the 1000. On Sep tember 2S, one week later, there were BPS cases to the 1000. After time these were reduced to 69 to the 1000.
 'rNow, as to the plan of this cam paign to control these venereal dis