The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-06-11
VENEREAL DISEASE
RESPONSIBILITY
Has Been Upheld in Several Differ
ent Phases in
Court.

Washington, d. c., June ll.-Per
sonal responsibility for the transmits
sion of venereal disease has now beer
upheld in several different phases by
both civil and criminal courts, says
the U. S. public health service. In
Oklahoma man has been sentenced
to five years in the penitentiary for
injecting a girl with syphilis. In Ne
braska Che court upheld a doctor who
warned hotel keeper that one of his
patients, guest at the hotel, had
syphilis and had refused treatment
and was consequently a menace to the
public health. In North Carolina a
woman has been awarded $4,000 dam
ages against her husband for sim
liar infection and the supreme court
has upheld the Judgment.
The Nebraska case is important be
cause it asserts that physicians
duty to protect the public health may,
under certain circumstances, trans
cend his duty to, hold his patient 5
confidence inviolable. The North Car
olina case is also important because
it sets aside in this particular case
the legal barrier that prevents wife
from testifying against her husband
and bringing suit against him.
All three cases are valuable in conn
teracting incorrect statements, often
made, that the general disease law
falls almost exclusively on women and
lets men 90 free. State laws, of
course, govern in all such cases but
the fact that every state in the union
has now adopted many if not all of
the veneresl disease laws, gives ground
fT expecting similar action in other
states. Certainly the wide dissemina-
ton of the three decisions should 90
far to curb diseased persons who de-
bberately expose others TO infection.
Curiously enough the District of CO.
lumbia is the only part of continental
United States that has no venereal
disease laws. Congress, which makes
the laws for the district, has not yet
acted.
The fact that the North Carolina de-
cision makes it likely that marriage
viii henceforth be no adequate de-
Tense against a suit for transmitting
Infection will probably hasten the
adoption by the states of laws re.
luiring every applicant for a marriage
license. 10 present a certificate by rep
ntable doctor certifying that he is
free from venereal disease aud pro-
viding that without this no license
shall be issued
Twenty states have already adopted
avs forbidding persons with venereal
disease to marry, seven of these-New
New Jersey, North Caro-
ina, Oregon, Washington and West
Notwithstanding acted during the
present years sessions A similar bill
: nov pending in Florida.
All of the twenty states do not re-
luire medical examination and eertfi-
alton that the applicant Is free from
'eneresl disease. "Such a certificate |
hould be required in every state. Gin
lists the public health service" "Any
lecent man with an uncured infection
Who marries does 50 either because he
loes not realize the seriousness Of his
ction or because he believes that he
; cured. The necessity for an exami-
Iation should bring its seriousness
Iome to him and should be welcomed
" him as a protection for his wife
nd children. No real man should OBJ
ect 70 medical examination required
y Law.