Montana labor news., 1938-03-17

96AARAA AA6 ~ ~ AAb1 ~ E0ACHa1Ai
A germ that looks like a tiny cof-
fee bean is the cause of all this
misery. This germ is known to sci
ence as the gonococcus. 1t is passed
from an infected person to a healthy
one by contact, almost always by
sexual intercourse. Sometimes little
girls get these germs by contact with
clothing Dr. other objects that have
been soiled by pus from an older
person who has %gonorrhea. In the
same way the eyes of adults or
children are sometimes similarly in
fected.
When the germs lodge at the en-
trance to or inside the sexual organs
they promptly begin to increase and
multiply. They cause an acute in
Illumination with a discharge of pus.
Passing water may cause pain and
burning. The pus is loaded with
more germs of %gonorrhea. Gradual
ly the disease works its way deeper
and deeper into the sex organs. In
women the ovaries and tubes may
be attacked. In men the testicles
and sperm tubes which lead from
them may become impaired. These
effects of the disease in men and
women may prevent them from hav-
ing children.
When women have gonorrhea the
germs are present in the canal
through which the baby is born.
The germs are likely to get into the
child's eyes as it comes through this
birth canal. The result may be sore
eyes and eventual blindness unless
a silver solution is placed in the
babies eyes. Just to make sure, the
doctor always puts drops in the
babies eyes Immediately after birth.
Gonorrhea can usually be cured
when treatment is given by a skilled
physician and if treatment starts
early. There are many methods of
treatment of gonorrhea, but all re-
quire the personal attention of a
physician. The main things for the
patient to remember are to go to a
physician as oon as any of the signs
mentioned above appear, and to fol-
low the doctors orders to the letter.
The gonococcus can be killed by
soap and water, by silver prepara-
tons such as argyrol, by potassium
permanganate and many other anti
septics. If a persons suspects that
he has been exposed to %gonorrhea,
he should go at once, to a physician
for early preventive treatment.
The diagnosis of gonorrhea is
made from the history and from
what the doctor can see when he
examines the patient. The doctor
takes a smear" of the discharge
(pus) and looks at it under the
microscope. If he can see the clus-
ters of tiny coffee beans he knows
at once that the condition is gonor-
rhea. If he cannot find the germ,
he may still believe the condition is
gonorrhea and he may treat it as
such, or he may make more micro
scopic examinations. In men, the
diagnosis is usually easy, but i'll
women there r other conditions
which closely resemble gonorrhea.
The treatment may, in these condi-
tons, be quite similar to the treat
ment for gonorrhea.
Persons who have gonorrhea or
syphilis should never seek treatment
or advice from any one but a Ii
censed physician. They should be-
ware of advertising doctors. Good
doctors do not advertise for patients.
Patients should never try self-treat-
ment or advertised cures. These are
merely money-making schemes and
are likely to cause harm which can
not be repaired. They should con-
suit the best licensed physician they
can find and follow his advice fully.
Your Department of Health wishes
to help all those having gonorrhea
to get well. If an infected person
wishes to find a doctor, he should
phone the Department of Health or
the county medical society for the
names of several physicians con-
v~eniently located for the treatment
of the patient. Also, anyone may
come to the Department of Health
for free examination for gonorrhea
or syphilis, and if infected, receive
the names of private physicians.