Evening star., 1948-10-04
Health Unit Can Issue
Isolation Order 10
Push VD Treatment

The District Health Department,
in its fight against venereal disease,
has a trump card to play in cases
where persons believed to be infect
ed refuse to report for examination
and treatment to clinic or pri-
vate physician.
Under the communicable disease
law of 1947, the department can
issue an isolation order to the Police
Department to bring the suspected
patient to the clinic. If he still
refuses treatment, the court may
order him held until the disease
is no longer infectious.
The Health Department plays this
trump card reluctantly, and only
after all other measures Of persua-
sion have failed. Nevertheless, the
Health Department has had to issue
about five isolation orders each
month since the law became effec-
tive. A court order never has been
necessary.
Isolation Provided in 1886.
Although health officials feel
that the necessity of legislation to
make sick people help themselves
and protect others is dismal in
dication of the public educational
and social conciousness, the situa-
ton today is far cry from what
it has been in the past.
Syphilis is an old disease, and
legislation against it is almost as
OLD. In 1895, for instance, the
Emperor Maximillian issued man
date calling syphilis "the evil pox"
snd declaring it had been sent by
God as punishment for the sin
of blasphemy.
A year later in Paris, where the
disease was reaching epidemic pro-
portions, a decree was passed that
q person who had syphilis could
not leave his house until completely
cured. The homeless poor were con-
signed to the borough of st. Ger
main outside the walls of the city.
d. C. Lags Behind States.
This earliest isolation order"
differed mainly from the one in
force in the District today in that
then there was no cure for syphilis.
It was not even known what caused
the disease, and the measure taken
in behalf of the patient were about
as likely to kill him as the most
virulent infection.
Even as recently as 1943, the cure
for syphilis required from II to 18
months. Serious reactions to the
drug used were not uncommon.
Today, with the advent of penicil-
lin, syphilis is cured in nearly every
case within 10 days. The treatment
involves no pain. Gonorrhea requires
only one shot of the new drug and
q similar cure for syphilis is in the
process of being developed.
In other fields of anti-venereal
disease legislation the District is
tagging behind a majority Of the
States.
Blood Tests Not Required.
AL but 10 States and the District
require blood tests for syphilis before
marriage and for expectant mothers.
1t Is estimated 2,5O0,OO0 blood tests
are given annually under these
laws. They discover and prevent
many thousands of cases of syphilis
every year and have greatly reduced
infant deaths due to the disease.
The progress has been very great.
AS late as 1887. only one State,
Connecticut, required a blood test
before marriage. No States required
q prenatal test.
Efforts are under way to pass leg
islation on a national level making
such tests compulsory in all States
and the District. 1t Is Endorsed by
the United States Public Health
Service, the American Public Health
Association and the American So
cial Hygiene Association, as well as
oHicoI or0aInS