Evening star., 1936-12-30
VENEREAL DISEASE
REVEALED AMONG
MOST PREVALENT
Decline in Incidence Noted,
However, by Assistant
Surgeon General.
REPORT READ AT THIRD
DAY OF PARLEYS HERE
Decrease in Rate Among Army
and Navy Candidates From 1910
to 1882 Is Found.

w 4OO~ 40 VuHOs
DR.. r. s. Vonderlehr, assistant
United States surgeon general. esti-
mated today that syphilis is twice as
prevalent as scarlet fever, l3 times as
prevalent as diphtheria, % times as
prevalent as typhoid fever and is
times as prevalent as tuberculosis. He
suggested, however. that the incidence
of the disease is steadily declining.
DR.. Vonderlehr haZarded these COM
putations In a report on the extent of
the disease in the United States which
he read at the opening Of the third
and closing days meeting of the con-
ference on venereal disease control at
the Commerce Department auditorium.
The conference was called by Surg.
Gen. Thomas Parran to plan a united,
Nationwide campaign against vene.
real disease which the delegates hope
will be directed by the Government
and aided by Federal appropriation
Of $25,000,000 as soon as possible.
Decline Noted In Women.
From 1910 to 1882, he said, syphilis
declined 50 per cent among candi-
dates for the Army and 9 per cent
among candidates for the Navy.
Since 1928 there has been a steady
decline of prevalence among women
examined at prenatal clinics, DR..
Vonderlehr said, adding:
The decline in incidence in the
Army and Navy can probably be at.
tributed to a general reduction in in.
cidence."
Nevertheless, the Vonderlehr report
brought out some startling figures on
the extent of the affliction:
At the very minimum the number
of patients in need Of treatment Is
683, 900.
Six per cent of the heart disease
deaths in the United States each year
are syphilitic in origin.
Syphilis causes loss of $50, 1000 years
Of life annually.
Surveys indicated that, Of 10000 col.
ored women examined in the South,
the disease exists among 2o5 per 1000:
that SO per 1000 expectant mothers
are afflicted; that 139 per 1000 candi-
dates for entrance into the Navy are
aflicted; that 160 per 1000 inmates Of
Federal prisons are afflicted, and that
20 per 1000 chosen at random for
laboratory examination in New York
City are afflicted.
More Prevalent in City.
The disease is more likely to be found
in the city than in the country, in the
South than in the North and in the
single male than in the woman or
married male, DR.. Vonderlehr said.
OF the $4,000 victims he said require
treatment, he declared that IL 900 be.
came afflicted between the ages of IL
and is, and 10000 before their 2lst
year.
A major need in the battle against
the disease, DR.. Alan M. Chesney,
dean of Johns Hopkins University
Medical School, told the delegates be-
fore the Vonderlehr report, is research
in at least nine fields of investigation
concerning the disease
I'VE must have sustained study of
all unsolved problems" DR.. Chesney
said, land we must find the men and
women to do the work"
Facilities Lacking.
DR.. Arthur T. Mccormack, public
health commissioner of Kentucky, and
president-elect of the United States
Public Health Oficers' Association,
told the conference that adequate
facilities for diagnosis and treatment
Of the diseases are rarely" available
to the afflicted individual, and that
public health facilities for control are
totally inadequate.
"If the Federal Government" he
said, assumes as much responsibility
for the control of syphilis as 1t has
done for the care of and results Gn-
sanity and blindneSs) of this and
other preventable diseases. it is ap-
parent that the cost to the Federal
Government of an adequate disease
control program will be $25,00O, 900
annually"
Several civic and professional
groups enlisted today in the national
campaign to control venereal disease.
DR.. william F. Snow, general di-
rector Of the American Social Hygiene
Association, announced that the gen.
eral Federation Of Women's Clubs,
many parent-teacher associations,
the American Medical Association, the
American Legion and other organ;za-
tions had Joined the drive.
He said meetings will be held
throughout the Nation February 3
to explain the problem to laymen and
promote frank discussion Of it. Speak
ers at the national conference on We
nereal disease control here this week
said ancient prejudices against public
mention of syphilis and gonorrhea
hindered eradication Of the diseases.