Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-05-23
VenereaI Diseases.

The campaign against venerel dis
eases, now nationwide in its scope, Is
advancing slowly but surely toward eff
fectiveness. 1t has been under a great
handicap from the start. Other diseases,
though unpleasant topics for discussion,
have been discussed widely and openly.
Efforts toward controlling or ehmlnat-
ing them have not been handicapped by
a confusion of moral and medical aspects
or an attitude of pseudo -modesty. The
terrible physical effects of syphilis and
gonorrhea have been left during the past
to the consideration of the medical pro-
fession almost entirely. See no evil,
speak no evil, hear no evil" as depicted
by the familiar group of simians of the
curio shops, has been the general atti-
tude toward these scourges CT the hu-
man race.
When our boys began to mobilize at
the training camps, and the army au-
thorities began their campaign against
venereal diseases, the newspapers, recog-
nizing that the fathers and mothers were
anxious for any news affecting their
sons, began to give a much needed pub
licity to this campaign, and the words
"venereal diseases" began to find their
place in the public prints.
1t is one of the peculiarities of the
English language that two words derived
from single root may acquire opposite
characteristics from usage.
From the root word Venus, goddess of
love, are derived "venerate" and I've
nereal." The former is used to signify
reverence and respect while the latter
has been applied to group Of diseases,
and because these are often acquired In
an illegitimate manner, odium has at
tached to it. 1t is deplorable mistake
to regard the unfortunate victim of any
of these diseases as social outcast. He
Is rather the unfortunate victim of a
false system of education.
In justice to the thousands Of blind
babies, whose condition is due to gon-
orrheal infection in their persons, in
fairness to the many persons who are
consideration OF the multitude Of congen-
ital syphilitic cases, these diseases, syph-
Ills and gonorrhea, should be thought of,
spoken of and written of, as are other
diseases. They should not be put in a
separate class and thus unduly penalize
innocent victims.
The appellation SOCIAL diseases" is
not only indefinite but incorrect. No
disease is social, but If the term is ap-
Piled to any, it might just as appropri-
ately be applied to many others; or they
might even be more appropriately termed
"anti-social"
The malevolent characteristic Of We
nereal diseases is that they poison the
stream Of human life, they attack the
fountain and pollute the seed. Other
diseases, notably. tuberculosis, are sup
posed to have hereditary tendency, but
this is a wholly different matter from
the fundamental and essential malignancy
of the venereal diseases, which aims
straight at the races power to perpetu-
ate itself, to reproduce and grow. They
are responsible for more than 30 per
cent Of the races incapacty to have
children. It is not too much to say that
the steady deadliness of these diseases,
continuing year after year, is greater
than the deadliness Of the wars that
break out once in 9 generation or 80.
these diseases 10 under way. In many
cities at the nresent ume they are being
handled as they should be-as dangerous
communicable diseases-and 1t is hoped
to eventually have them under the same