The Topeka state journal., 1919-09-27
VenereaI Diseases Worse Than
the Public Realizes.
Captain HOugh Sees Danger OF
Injecting Whole Nation.
EVERY COMMUNITY MUST FIGHT
Innocent Suffer More Than
Those Who Are Guilty.
More Persons Lost Every Year
Than the Huns Killed.


CHASING the prevalence OF venereal
diseases as one OF the greatest mem
aces in the world today. more danger
Gus than war. Capt. Louis Hough, re-
FionaI counselor Of the venereal di-
sease bureau OF the United States pub
lie health service. is now in Topeka
for the purpose OF assisting the state
public health department in laying
plans for an active campaign against
these evils.
According to Captain Hough. one of
the greatest goods that has come out
OF 4he war Is the fact that the Ameri-
can people have become aroused to
the tremendous prevalence of these
diseases and the awful havoc they are
playing with the American nation
They have seen the handwriting on the
wall. a prediction of time that may
come when the majority Of persons in
the country will have the disease in
some form or another II active public
measures are not taken to fight its
Spreading.
Plan OF the Campaign.
The plan Of the campaign COM
prises: first. the establishment OF free
venereal disease clinics where those
y
for themselves may be taken for
Treatment; second, the esta blishment
Of detention homes where they may be
taken so as not to possibly infect 9TH
ers; third, a campaign Of education
among physicians, dentists, nurses and
the general public regarding the COM
municability OF these. diseases; the
damage they are doing TO the man
power OF the nation and what 1t Is
costing the United States in dollars
and cents to care for some of the end
results OF these diseases.
Statistics from blood tests show that
30 per cent of the inmates in insane
asylums are syphilitic. In a number
OF penitentiaries the per cent ranges
from Is to 20 per cent. A large per
cent OF the inmates OF homes for
feeble-minded are the offsprings of
venereal infected persons. Eighty per
cent OF all blindness among the young
Is due to Eonorrheal infection and rs
per cent OF all blindness is due to the
same cause
Huge Sums Expended.
1t Is costing the United States
500, 100000 annually, says Captain
Hough, TO take care of insane persons
alone due to syphilis. 1t is costing
the state of Illinois $6,00O,0OO annual
" TO take care of the victims of these
preyentable and durable diseases. The
same thing is true in other places in
the United States.
Would it not be better and wiser.
as a matter OF dollars and cents" asks
the specialist, ITO expend a few thou
sand in prevention and cure rather
than appropriate millions annually to
care for what might have been pre-
vented"
The impression has been" says
captain Hough, among the general
public that the guilty offender was
a Na HVrNf l. 70 ,
from the truth. The innocent form
SO per cent of the sufferers. Wives
and offsprings suffer. Fifteen per
cent of these diseases are contracted
BY kissing. lead pencils. bath tubs
drinking cups. closets and sometimes
IN the dentists chair So 1t becomes
a matter that affects the general pub
lie as one is liable to have infections
brought into the house by one of the
Sewers OF wild oats.
1T r. estimated" the physician stat
ed. that 100000 Of our young men
mature annually and SIS per cent OF
these will contract gonorrhea OF
syphilis before they reach the age
OF s5.
law Gives Power.
These diseases are reportable and
quarantinable by law and II is the duty
OF every physician and follow-ur
worker to comply with the law. The
follow-up worker and the clinic has
for its object the finding of the source
OF infections. The patient informi
where he was infected. The follow.
up worker traces this down and prob
ably finds other infections A easi
was recently traced to a southern city
The manager OF the plant demanded
an examination OF all employees and A
per cent were found infected will
syphilis"
when Captain Hough compared an
nuai death losses from ,venereal dis
eases with death losses OF the late wa
the real punch OF, his talk was re
vealed.
I'VE lost 80. 900 American boys Fl
the war. Yet we are losing annual,
more than that thru syphilis and gon
orrhea. Is that right? It is the dut,
OF every nation to protect the health
life and liberty of its people. The peo
pie have a right to demand protection
from disease. Especially from thes
diseases which have done NOR
to depopulate the world than all 9th
err diseases combined"