The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-04-28
REPORTS MADE TO
1HEALTA DEPARTMENT
REVEAL CONDITIONS

(By DR.. j. c. Mahr, Director, Okla
homa State Board of Health,)
Oklahoma City, April 25. Reports
being received by the Bureau Of We
neral Diseases of the U. S. Public
Health Service and Oklahoma State
Board of Health, brings forcibly to
the attention of the department a
matter of the utmost Importance,
and one that should awaken every
one interested in the suppression of
evils that undermine health and So
cial relations-reports of cases OF
veneral diseases hitherto unknown,
resultant from the provision of Ok
lahoma's new veneral disease law,
making it compulsory upon physi-
clans and persons afflicted to make
reports of all such cases. Hundreds
of cases are being reported from
nearly every village, hamlet, town
and city in Oklahoma. The number
is amazing as well as appalling.
Social ills and evils appear to be
prevalent and are among the great
est menacs that confront the present
generation.
From one county seat town Of
twelve thousand population more
than 250 cases of veneral diseases
have been reported, embracing
school girls and student boys Of
tender years as we'll as those OF ma
ture age. Literally hundreds OF
cases have been reported of victims
of veneral diseases whose ages run
as low as Is, 16, II and IS years,
of both sexes.
1t is high time that the public
awakens to the dangers of social
ills and evils of this character and
help in their suppression. The Bu-
reau Of Veneral Diseases Of the Z.
S. Public Health Service, co-operat-
ing with the Oklahoma State Board
of Health. has established free elm
les al number of cities and towns
in the State for the treatment of
these diseases, where persons af
flicted may apply and receive treat
ment without cost if they are un-
able to pay. These clinics are con-
Quoted without any publicity to pa
tients, and in strict privacy. The
establishment of these clinics is for
the purpose of helping humanity.
Our government has taken the
initiative among the nations Of the
world in openly fighting the malig-
nant foe-veneral disease 1t is wag-
ing Twentieth Century fight
against an enemy that has sailed
the ocean of Humanity for years,
protected by its camouflage OF pru-
derry and mock-modesty. The cam
paign for stamping out veneral dis
eases will be waged in every hamlet,
village, town and city in Oklahoma
under the provisions of the new We
neral law recently enacted by the
State Legislature, the U. S. Public
Health Service under the direction
of DR.. J. c. Mahr, and the Oklahoma
Public Board of Health.
Veneral diseases and the dishonor-
able wounds resulting from them in
capacitated more than 100000 men
and boys of our National Army dur
ing the months intervening between
mobilization and the signing of the
One hundred millions Of
dollars and over 100000 soldier
days were lost to our military es-
tablishment at time when all
forces, financial as well as physical,
were vitally needed to reinforce
men on the fighting line.
There is no longer reason for cam
outage or mock-modesty about a
matter that is eating at the very
vtals of the Nation. Veneral dis
eases, resulting from prostitution,
priced and private, is the source of
the evil-social evils that have,
been winked at by the
great American public. The major
ity of professional prostitutes are
infected 1t is up to the
public, working in coordination with |
public health, to wage a cease. .ess
warfare against social ills in every
of the state. The pull &c
must be educated relative to the
'reat dangers of the social evil.