[Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Birkenhead County Borough.
- Birkenhead (England). County Borough Council.
- Date:
- 1944
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Birkenhead County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
15/61 page 12
![VENEREAL DISEASES A contiiiiK’d iiM'idciuc of xeiiuj’o.-d diseases diirini: the juisl y(‘ar is recorded hy Dr. Ifluckslo(d<, tlie couneii’s specialist in tliese ('.oiiditiojis, thoiieli there lias lieeii a slielit inijirovcaiieJit (‘omjiared with D)4d, (diiedy in tlie innnher of cases of ^aaioi-rhoai. 'fhe eoiadusioiis arrived at as the I'esidt of Die 1 flackstock’s careliil ohser\ation call for serious cousideralion. The success lioped for fi’oui lit'i^ulatioii ddlf has not heeii forth- coiiiing, and local aulhoidties ai-e still jiowei’less to ti-aee all contacts and enforce tiaaitnient upon those jku’sous known to he inleeted with the disease. wliadi time and Irouhle has h.eeii t'daui to bring siieh persons to tlie clinic foi- treatment, !'<a' exmnple, hy luuiie xisitingu and talks to the infected parents regcmling the danger tu their (ddldreii. Failure has mostly been rec(/)\led from these p; j-suasive measures. There am still ik.) ])owers to wield against the anti-social members of tlie community, and syphilis contimic’s to he j-assed on from jaireiit to child without any obstruct ion. Persons sutfeinig from primary syphilis and gonorrluea seek medical aid earlier than during'- previous years, hut in most eases the patients do not know the names nor the addresses of their consorts; and when they know the names, the addresses ai-e often so vaguie that tracing is impossible. [The social background of venereal disease has been demonstrated on Tyneside in painstaking efforts to trace sources of infection between tfetober, 194d, and .Mandi, 1944. Out of a total of 451 contacts, only 177 supplied complete information to c liable visitors to find the infected persons. 155 attended the clinic; lOd were suffering from either syphilis, gonorrluea, or both. Of the doO contacts looked for. 199 were not identified. Of the 241 identitle<l. 21 failed or refused to attend for examination, and 39% of the 451 contacts gave insufficient identifying information to justify attenpits to find them.] Local authorities must bear in mind that when the war in Europe is over and the men and women in the seiwices commence to demobilise tliey will come back home to a reservoir of venereal disease not yet controlled. Those returning, if they contracted venereal disease during their time of service, were obliged by military law to undergo com- ])ulsory treatment. For them concealment of venereal disease was a punishable offence. What excuse can we offer for our ineffective control in civilian life? Some exiplanation must be given for our ineffective measures to control the spread of the disease, and of our failure to proxide sufficient money to finance successful venereal diseases schemes. Medical science now holds the key to the success- ful treatment of venereal disease, but doctors wxant properly equipped clinics in which to apply curative measures. These clinics do not exist in many places; and when a treatment centre is available, its size, staff, equipment and furniture are sometimes so incomplete that many persons refuse to attend for treatment owing to the discomfort and lack of privacy.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28927382_0016.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
