Note by the Chairman of the Committee (the Hon. Walford Astor, M.P.) to the Minister of Health on prophylaxis against venereal disease.

  • Great Britain. Inter-Departmental Committee on Infectious Diseases in Connection with Demobilisation.
Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Note by the Chairman of the Committee (the Hon. Walford Astor, M.P.) to the Minister of Health on prophylaxis against venereal disease. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    3 TABLE C. Australian Forces. The system organised by the Australian Forces was most thorough. Men were almost individually instructed, and packets were handed with full directions to men going on leave. Theoretically it should have reduced the venereal rate to negligible proportions. ‘ (a) United Kingdom.—The admissions for venereal disease* in the Australian Imperial Forces in the United Kingdom since July 1917 as supplied by the Australian Headquarters were as follows :— | Total Admissions, Ratio Average Strength} Average Weekly | Period, Three Months, ended— _ | in A.I.F. Depots ee font | a me ee aoe in U.K. Venereal Disease. Peay ante 30th September 1917 - - - | 62,106 | 200 2,600 167 3lst December 1917 - - =| 58,288 190 2,470 150 3lst March 1918 - : . - 55,574 | 189 2,457 176 30th June 1918 - - : - 49,087 126 1,638 133 30th September 1918 - -~— - 51,471 131 1,703 132 3lst December 1918° - - ~~ ~ 53,666 | 152 1,976 147 (b) France.—The admissions for Venereal Disease in the Australian Imperial Force in France were :— | ae 4 me | Total | Ratio per : . | Period, Three Months, ended— Average Strength. Average Weekly | Admissions for} 1,000 per | | Admissions. |Three Months. | Annum. | Lia 30th September 1917 - - | 118,742 231 3,003 101 31st December 1917 - - | 118,090 158 2,054 69 3lst March 1918 - - - | 119,743 181 2,353 78 30th June 1918 -— . -— 119,118 134 1,742 58 30th September 1918 — - 54 109,240 116 1,508 55 3lst December 1918 _ - - | 94,130 115 1,495 63 During the latter part of the war, however, the Australians developed a system under which men in the earlier stages of gonorrhcea reported at a station for abortive treatment, and in the event of this proving successful, patients were not admitted to hospital, (c) Figures supplied by the Australian Headquarters show that the results of abortive treatment of gonorrhcea in the United, Kingdomf were as follows :— Abortive Treatment. Period, Three Months, ended Number with Signs of Number cured after Signs Gonorrhoea treated. of Gonorrheea. 30th September 1917 - - - 2,278 1,371 31st December 1917 - : . 1,787 1,000 3lst March 1918 - - os 1,629 1,113 30th June 1918 - - Si 1,821 1,564 30th September 1918 - suf os 2,195 1,692 3lst December 1918 - F : 1,721 1,081 Those who were cured by this abortive method were not admitted to hospital, and are therefore not included in the figures under (a) and (0) above. * See second footnote, page 2. ; + Abortive treatment was not officially carried out in the A.I.F.in France, and no figures are available. : g 8604 B
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