Phoenix tribune., 1920-09-25

ShSA. IlOW MS-A our government sue
ceeded in protecting our soldiers from
the demoralizing effects OF prostitu-
ton and venereal diseases is shown
by the fact that five men entered the
army infected with venereal diseases
where one became infected after en-
| tering the army, thus demonstrating
that venereal diseases can be largely
controlled by the application of the
practical measures employed by the
government during the war and since
the war, adopted by the state boards
of health in almost every state in the
Union. These measures are medical
educational, law enforcement and rec
reational l submit that if the above
measures are religiously applied by
the practical methods that have teen
adopted, venereal disease incidence
can be very largely reduced within
comparatively short time. In this
connection l might state that the
venereal disease control program, as
some prejudiced individuals would
have you believe, was not evolved by
impractical idealists, but rather by
men of unquestioned patriotism and
transcendent ability as sanitarians. 1t
is being carried out today by some of
the ablest men and women of the
medical profession and by thousands
of laymen and women of recognized
ability and unquestioned loyalty to
the state and nation and who have a
profound interest in the we'll being of
the present and future generations.
Such men and women would be the
last to subscribe to any plan or sug-
gestion that would in the least inter-
fere with the confidential relationship
that has so long existed between the
physician and his patient or that
would limit the activities of any re-
spectacle lawading citizen.
Tie primary purpose of the cam
paign for the control of venereal dis
eases is not the interference with
legitimate business or wholesome rec
reation, but rather the protection of
the mothers and the boys and girls
OF this age and of the generation yet
unborn.
just why venereal diseases should
be looked on as trivial matter, and
the disscminators of them should be
permitted to spread their loathsome
and deadly infections promiscuously
among our boys and young men, and
indirectly, to our innocent daughters
and their unborn babes without us
raising our voices or our hands in
protest, can only be accounted for by
cur ignorance. Like Hosea of old,
we might acclaim: "The people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge"
This country is staggering under an
economic annual burden of approx
mately one-half billion dollars as the
fruits Of this group of diseases. DR..
Howard Kelly, the eminent gynecolo-
gist, tells US that 80 per cent OF his
operations in private practice are di-
Tectly traceable to venereal diseases
! Rosenau, in his book on preventive
medicine, quoting from the best au-
thorities, estimates that there are ESQ.,
600 deaths annually from venereal dis
eases as against 10000 from tubercu-
losis; that one-ffth of all the insane
in our asylums today are there on
account of syphilis, and that 80 per
cent of all the blind in institutions are
due to gonorrhoea.
In the face of these indisputable
facts, is it not surprising that some of
our leading physicians and men and
women, who, on account of their sup
posed ability and interest in the state
and the well-being and advancement
of the citizenry thereof, should either
by their outspoken opposition or their
silent indifference impede the prog
ress of this the most timely public
health movement ever undertaken.
The venereal disease problem has
been studied scientifically and a pro-
gram of control has been agreed upon.
The necessary machinery in the ma
tional and state government has been
established. The only essential now
lacking is the will OF the people. Just
so soon as the people of the United
States definitely decide to eradicate
venereal diseases, they will go as as
have yellow fever. smallpox and ty-
phoid fever. 1t is one thing to be
passively in sympathy with the vene-
real disease control campaign and an
other to be actively in favor of it.
There are three definite ways in
which the laity can help in the cam
paign for the control of venereal dis
eases, viz.
l. Inform yourself. Find out all
--o,, no,, abo,tt d;.z.