Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-04-20
The venereaI
Disease Menace

InankS 10 the activity of the War
Department the menace of venereaI
diseases is being more understood
han ever before. The policy of silence
which prevailed heretofore is respon-
ible for the constant increase in these
diseases and the existing danger, to the
public health and efficiency.
That the campaign for the proven
lion of venereal diseases should be
vigorously presented may be gathered
rom the fact that of 100000 men in
he army infected with venereal dis
case, 10000 brought the infection
with them from civil life In other
words, of every six men venereally in
fected, five of them contracted the dis
case before joining the colors.
Few of these men, comparatively,
knew the dangers or the effects of We
nereal diseases; just as a small per-
centage of the public realizes the ex-
tent of these diseases. 1t is estimated
hat so per cent of all men have had
gonorrhoea at one time or other This
disease is not cured as readily as most
people imagine. A good, reliable doc
tor is the Only one that should be
trusted in the treatment of venereal
diseases and the advertising physician
should never be consulted. Usually
lie is Quack, depending on the fears
and the finances of the unsuspecting
patient.
Gonorrhoea has often led to serious
results, terminating in painful form
Of rheumatism, in chronic invalidism
and in serious surgical cases, some
times ending in DEATH It also fire.
Quently results in sterility and in blind
ness. Eighty per cent of all blindness
in newborn babes is directly trace
able to gonorrhoea. These children
doomed to go through life of dark
ness are in most cases an economic
loss to the state because of their han
dicap.
Venereal disease is infectious. That
is. it can be transmitted from one per-
son to another The chief method of
transmission is by means of the prosti-
tute. OF these women actual figures
show that fully So per cent have gon-
O1inOSd, 6ypll1lS, VI DolH. FSnSIGd
diseases may also be contracted
through the use of common property,
such as the public towel, or the use
Of another's toothbrush, pipe, etc. But
the safest way to avoid venereal dis
ease is to avoid the use of common
property and most important, to keep
away from the prostitute. This APP
plies even to the prostitute who is
frequently examined for this exam
ination is no guarantee, as the woman
may have become infected five minutes
after examination.
Syphilis, another form of venereal
disease, is more prevalent than is gen.
orally known. About 20 per cent of
all prostitutes have it in an infectious
form. Syphilis is a treacherous dis
ease, in that when it appears cured,
it may be most harmful The first and
second stages of syphilis are easily de-
tected, and therefore attention is usu-
ally given the disease at this time.
During the third stage, however, when
the LESSONS are healed, pain is gone,
and all outward appearance of the dis
ease is passed, the syphilitic is in
clined to neglect himself, by failing
to take the continuous treatment out
lined by a reputable physician. Here
is where the little spirochete, as the
germ is called, does its most work.
1t will travel through the body, some
times attacking the heart, but more
frequently attacking the brain-and
often the victim will develop paresis
OF "softening of the BRAIN" or locomo-
tor ataxia, long years after he had
forgotten that he ever had syphilis,
and many years after he thought he
was entirely cured Every case of pa
resis is due to syphilis; about SO per
cent of locomotor ataxia is due to
syphilis; and every case of apoplexy
under forty is due to syphilis. This is
part of the toll. All the distress, all
the heart suffering, and all the misery
caused by venereal disease will never
be known.
Syphilis and gonorrhoea are both
durable, but only after long treatment,
continued until discharged by physi-