Phoenix tribune., 1925-04-04

on married women made necessary
by innocent gonorrheal infection.
Neither does it include funeral ex-
penses. 1t omits charges for a Ger
tain amount of crime and delin-
quency, with consequent share in
the operating expenses of the courts,
jails and reformatories, which ven
ereal disease may cause. 1t takes
no account Of millions of dollars
paid to prostitutes each year-miL
lions which might have been put to
a more beneficial and legitimate USE
Where all these things are taken in
to account the combined cost of ven
ereal disease to the state and to the
Individual is greatly increased At
the Australasian Medical Congress
in 1923, it was said that venereal
diseases caused Australia an eco
nomic waste of $24O,OOO,0OO a year,
a sum amounting to $50 for every
person in the country That loss is
annual. Furthermore, it is unneces-
sary.
Here are some miscellaneous
facts. Using army figures as a basis,
it has been estimated that the 1O,-
100000 men employed in the manu-
featuring industry in the United
States lose 6,893,OO0 working days a
year because of venereal disease.
In like proportion, the same is true
of any other class of men. In the
cases of 1,75O employees with a
syphilitic history, treated by a GER
tain company physician for injuries,
syphilis caused delayed wound re-
pair in SIS cases and delayed union
of fracture in 572. There is anoth-
er report of 35 syphilitic employees
who lost 13,946 working days. To
these men, $25,415 were paid in
compensation, while $25,926 were
spent for medical relief. Although
syphilis was not the original cause
of the injuries, by prolonging the
healing time it was responsible for
large part of the economic waste
represented by the total sum of $780,
I'll.
1t has been established that pare
sis and other forms of mental dis
orders brought on by syphilis have
been responsible for many accidents
in the commercial and industrial
world. The case is told of taxi
cab driver who had figured in many
collisions, sometimes injuring his
victims very severely. On examina-
tion the man was found to have
syphilitic history and to be suffer
ing from general paralysis of the
insane. In one group of commercial
enterprises, the physicians commit
tee on prevention and control of oc-
cupational diseases and hazards re-
ported that Sufficient data has been
secured to show that it (syphilis) is
present and that in many instances
is has appeared as direct or con-
tributing cause in derelictions of du-
ty with results that have been dis
astrous to life and property In Il
linois last year the number of in
dustrial accidents was $3.50, the
worst record in the history of the
state. Eleven million dollars were
paid out in compensation awards,
and $5O,OOO,OO0 were lost in wages.
In that one state there was
charge OF S61,OOOOOO, part of which
may have been occasioned by ven
ereal diseases.
Partly because of this drain upon
the resources of the country-a bur-
den that falls upon the shoulders of
all alike the United States Public
Health Service is conducting cam
paign of education against venereal
diseases. Through the Division of
Venereal Diseases the Public Health
Service is striving to spread the
truths that syphilis and gonorrhea
are unnecessary afflictions which
may be both prevented and cured.
Already employers and employees
are realizing the loss caused by ven
ereal diseases in all walks of life,
and are evidencing desire to join
forces against the common enemy
AS a prominent railroad physician
has said, the remedy lies in the
proper kind of sex education "and
the best channel of this personal up
lift is through industry. BY coop
GRAFTON, 80 per cent of the battle
to wipe out one of the greatest
curses in the world today social
diseases-will be won."
The money cost of venereal dis
eases is staggering, but it is not the
only cost. Every year syphilis and
gonorrhea waste the nations and the
individuals health, often taking life
itself.
Free pamphlets explaining the