Evening star., 1937-03-18
LAUNCH D. c. WAR
ON SOCIAL DISEASE
Doctors, Health Officials and
Laymen Organize for
Drive.

WaShington's first concerted assault
on the plague of social disease which
affiicts 6,500,000 Americans and kills
100000 annually was organized last
night by doctors, health officials and
laymen at a special District Medical
Society meeting.
Unless the United States follows the
lead of Europe in stamping out syphi-
lis, the most virulent of the maladieS,
it will become known as that great
American disease" Representative
Pfeifer. a New York doctor and an un-
expected speaker, warned.
The seven speakers at the Medical
Society auditorium were solaced by
the increasing public interest in
stamping out the plaques, the result
Of Nationwide fight launched
against venereal disease by DR.. Thomas
Parran, surgeon general of the United
States Public Health Service.
However, DR.. George G. Rutland,
District health officer said health Of
fee records, which admittedly reflect
only a portion of the extent of the
disease, show that in 1886 venereal
disease sufferers in the District out
numbered the sufferers from all other
Communicable diseases.
More Facilities Needed.
eve must increase our treatment
facilities" Dr. Rutland said. We
should add to the one clinic now in
operation treatment stations in those
districts where there are no facilities
for those unable to afford care by pri-
vate physicians.
Education of the laity in the ne
ceSsity of physical examination is re-
quired We do not know and there is
now no way of knowing how wide
spread is the venereal disease here.
''At our one clinic, in operation
since 1918, We treated 5000 patients
last year. But on them we can spend
only one-haf of the reasonable per
capita expenditure, only cents per
patient. More money is necessity"
That the ravages of the spirochita
pallida, the syphilis germ, can be
controlled was pointed out by Ray
Everett. executive secretary of the
Social Hygiene Society, in his recital
OF statistics on the prevalence of the
allment in the Army, which has fallen
from 1870 per 1000 to 1905 to 81 per
1000 in 1884.
knowledge of Disease Great.
There is no other disease of which
We have more complete knowledge" 1"
DR.. Harry A Fowler said in expanding
Everett'S thesis. We know how it
begins, we know how it runs its course,
we know how to treat and cure it. It
Is one of the few diseases for which
we have a specific remedy. The gen.
eral public must combine with the
medical profession, the health depart
ment and the Social Hygiene Society
to eliminate it."
From the plague come suicide, mur-
der. insanity and broken homes, DR..
William H. Hough, former presi-
dent of the Medical Society, said in
remarking on a motion picture on
syphilis control shown at the meeting
The key to the problem of eradlcat-
ing it," ne added, lis an enlightened
public which will realize the need of
appropriating funds to carry on the
work adequately. If sufficient money
were available, the disease could be
brought under control within 20
years"
DR.. w M. Sprigg. president of the
Medical Society, who presided, and
DR.. George w. CresWell, syphilologist
at the general clinic of the George
Washington University Hospital, also
spoke.