Evening star., 1939-02-01
Social Hygiene
Group Honors
Dr.. Parran
Surgeon General
Receives Snow
Award for Work

DR.. Thomas Parran, surgeon gen.
eral of the United States Public
Health Service, was honored today
by the American Social Hygiene As
sociation at its Goth annual meeting,
held at the Mayflower Hotel.
In recognition of his leadership in
public health work and in the cam
paign to eradicate syphilis, DR.. Par
ran received the William Freeman
Snow award for distinguished serv-
ice to humanity" The award was
presented at the associations lunch
con meeting, at which Mrs. Franklin
D. Roosevelt and others paid tribute
to DR.. Parran's work.
In accepting the award, DR.. Par
ran pledged his continued efforts
toward controlling venereal diseases
and said the goal cannot be attained
by earnest conversation and wishful
thinking"
The surgeon general emphasized
the importance in controlling any
disease of educating the public con-
corning it, and, in this connection,
commended the association for the
long and prominent part it has
played in educational work. Citiy
zens are now eager for facts, he said,
and the public has demanded that
health agencies and the medical
profession put their knowledge to
work"
Fight on National Scale.
Since the passage of the La Fol-
lette-Bulwinkle Act, control of the
venereal diseases has been attacked
on national scale, with the result,
DR.. Parran said, that more than S.
100000 of State and local moneys
have been made available, and for
the first time all State health de-
partments are furnishing free sero-
logic tests and examinations. In
addition, DR.. Parran mentioned that
10 States now have laws requiring
premarital physical examinations,
including laboratory tests, which,
he said, will minimize the spread
of syphilis to the next generation"
To take care of the large increase
of number of new patients seeking
treatment, Dr. Parran said the num-
ber of clinics has risen from one
clinic for each 1870 1000 persons to one
for each 10000 persons in the gen.
eral population.
This is not enough" DR.. Parran
said, "and the service is not good
enough. I repeat, as a nation we
have just started to fight syphilis
The main job is ahead of us, but
the movement is forward and the
trend is up"
DR., Parran received the award
from DR.. Livingston Farrand, presi-
dent emeritus of Cornell University,
who presided at the luncheon meet
ing.
Several Hundred at Farley.
Several hundred attended the
one-day convention, which also
marked the third national hygiene
day and signalized similar COM
munity meetings and demonstra-
tions throughout the country
Five major objectives were con-
sidered by health, medical and well
fare workers who attended the meet
ing of the association. a national
voluntary organization in the cam
paign against syphilis. These were:
l. Guard against the disease by
telling the American people the
truth. how it can be prevented and
how it can be cured
2. Protecting youth by strengthen
ing the efforts of the church, home
and school to provide better facili-
ties for sex education.
3. Guard against syphilis in mar
riage and childhood by encouraging
laws requiring examination for all
those about to marry and for all ex-
pectant mothers.
4. A campaign against prostitu-
ton and quackery.
S. Support of adequate voluntary
and official health programs, ma
tional, State and local.
After a short business session at
the opening of the meeting. a round
table discussion on Official and
Voluntary Social Hygiene Work" was
held.
Two round-able discussions are
scheduled for the concluding ses-
sion this afternoon.