The Washington times., 1939-01-30
THE WAR ON SYPHILIS
COOPERATION OF STATE AND NATION VITAL
Riqid Precautions
Also Necessary
BY CARL WARREN

OF nice people. Call them so
cial' diseases. Even then the
churches and womens' clubs
may be on your neck. Certainly
they are a national disgrace, but
well be a long, long time get
ting rid of them in this coun-
try!"
A leading New York doctor,
asked for data about venereal
diseases, gave that warning to a
reporter for The News in January.
1886.
"Hygiene Sunday" Noted
Yesterday, in hundreds of pull
pits. clergymen preached about
syphilis and gonorrhea. It was
Social Hygiene Sunday. And on
next Wednesday-third annual
Social Hygiene Day-the General
Federation of Womens' Clubs,
Catholic Daughters of America
ana Parent-Teacher Associations
will join a host of similar organ
izations at 5000 councils of war
to discuss frankly the sex NAL
aides, review the gains made
against them and map the future
strategy of a 48-State campaign
to wipe them out within this gen.
Grafton
The News and the Washington
Herald, among other publications,
printed the blunt facts per cent
of the population infected with
syphilis, two or three times that
number infected with gonorrhea,
60 900 babies a year born to die or
live with congenital syphilis.
National ActiUity
National, State, and city health
agencies swung into action. DR..
William F. Snow, general manager
of the American Social Hygiene
Association, which for % years had
fought uphill against the scourges,
led the voluntary forces and Sur
geon General Thomas Parran took
command of the official wing in a
new health army.
America woke up almost over
night.
Congress appropriated $3,00O,-
900 for anti-venereal work in 1898.
Social hygiene budgets scared.
New York and other States passed
laws requiring pre-marital and
pregnancy blood tests. Chicago
staged wholesale blood tests for
citizens. The Government seized
millions of faulty prophylactics.
General Advances
All along the line advances have
been made and the approach of
Social Hygiene Day finds these
current developments at hand:
l. With the support of the
public, which approved a vigor-
GUS Federal program 10 to l in
a recent poll, health agencies
are asking $5,OOO,OOO from Con-
gress for 1939-194O.
2. Three States outside New
York are enforcing new preg-
nancy blood tests and A legisla-
lures will act on similar legisla-
tion this year.
3. oregon, California an.
Idaho-far ahead of New York
are pioneering with laws
standardizing prophylactic prod
ucts, shutting inferier articles
from the market and assuring
buyers reliable merchandise.
4. The sensa tional new drug,
sulfanilami6e, holds out the
hope Of becoming a remedy as
effective for gonorrhea as is the
woodworking arsphenimine
for syphilis.
S. Clinica' facilities are being
extended rapidly end free drug
distribuation services widened to
care for INDECENT and low-income
patients.
Victory Predicted
These are few Of the salients
where the anti-venereal cam
paign is driving forward.
But what is all this accom-
pliShing? Are people being
cured? Can the United States
conquer the leaereal plague as
completely as have Norway,
sweden and Denmar' and prove
it by cold prevalence statistics?
"Yes," was the answer of DR..
Walter Clarke, general director
of the American Social Hygiene
Association. Thousands have
been cured, hundreds of thou
sands are under treatment and
untold millions are being saved