The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1920-03-20
WHY VENEREAL
DISEASES EXIST

ItllOA." liuull 1 oii0 HHNN
of the Bureau of Venereal Disease Con
troll as TO why the venereal diseases,
%gonorrhea and syphilis, continue to ex-
list today if medical science is able to
cure them and presumably eradicate
them. Venereal diseases are more
prevalent than any other class of dis
eases because of the great secrecy
which has been thrown about them.
They have been considered diseases
of vice. or different" or secret" dis
eases or as a punishment for sin.
Infected individuals have very care
fully guarded the existence of these
diseases and sought to keep even their
friends ignorant of their infection. AS
a result the great masses of people
have not peer aware of how prevalent
these diseases are. Few people even
today realize that gonorrhea is more
prevalent than any other disease, ex-
cept measles. Because of this igno-
rance of the prevalence of the diseases
iii lit SllSDnd dtia1iitd ~ lhNh' 80
fected persons have sought treatment
from either a prescribing druggist or a
quack doctor.
Prescribing druggists, who have sold
proprietary medicines for the treat
ment of these diseases, have often Civ
en- satisfaction to the patient, who,
Al ffat. n lnnnar NJ chnrtnr nnrin6 of
treatment. find that the early symp-
toms disappear. However, in practi-
| cally no case was the disease cured.
The individual may later have married
and infected his wife.
Quack doctors and advertising spe-
c~ialists are interested only in the finan-
cial remuneration, and he length of
treatment is determined by the guilt
hand over the money. Many of these
advertising doctors are not able to
diagnose syphilis. and some are not
competent even to take a sample OF
blood for 'Wasserman."
NJ. J. Druggists Cooperate.
The great majority of druggists in
New Jersey have obligated themselves
to discontinue the selling of patent
medicines or proprietary remedies for
the treatment of venereal diseases and
refer all patients to a government elm
ic or to a reliable physician. Out OF
the 376 newspapers in New Jersey you
can count on the fingers of one hand
those which will accept the advertising
of quack doctors. The New Jersey Blu.
reau of Venereal Disease Control as
serts that they shall bring every pres
sure possible TO bear on the newspa'
J ~ Il they refuse unanimously to
is advertising.
.e4e are other reasons for the ex-
istence of avenereal diseases today. II
has been believed by the laity that
gonorrhca is no worse than a cold.
They have been ignorant of the fact
that it causes a most painful form of
rheumatism and that it is responsible
for more than 80 per cent of all the
blindness of infants, that it is the
greatest cause for major operations on
women and tends to produce sterility
in both men and women.
Syphilis has continued, first, because
until very recently there has been no
cure. Modern medicine nov has a spe-
cific, and if the cas is taken early
enough and the treatment is continued
long enough, under the supervision of
a competent physician or at a free gov
eminent clinic, a complete cure can
usually be obtained. A second reason
for the existence of syphilis has been
the great Xpens necessary TO receive
proper treatment. This has been OBJ
waited by the establishment of govern
ment clinics.
Venereal diseases have been spread
and are being spread through prostitu-
Incompatible with good health has had
a great influence in the spread of these
diseases.
Until quite recently there have been
no laws requiring venereal diseases TO
be reported. and health authorities
have not known how many people have
been infected, where they were or
whether they were exposing other peo-
pie to the diseases or not. Not until
these conditions have been entirely re-
moved will it be possible to control
these diseases and ultimately to eradi-
cate them.
Every person Interested in better
health and better economic and So
cial conditions should inform himself
of the menace of venereal diseases.
Literature suitable for either sex and
for any age may be secured by address
ing the New Jersey Bureau of Venereal