Report on venereal diseases / Medical Advisory Committee (Scotland).

Date:
1944
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on venereal diseases / Medical Advisory Committee (Scotland). Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    cases of syphilis commencing treatment at approved centres fell gradually from 5,000 in 1922 to 3,000 in 1939 (see Appendix—Fig. 1). During this period the figure for late syphilis exceeded the combined total for primary and secondary the increase has been maintained during the first half of 1943. The numbers for primary and secondary syphilis taken together have risen from 1,000 in 1939 to 3,700 in 1942, greatly outnumbering those for late syphilis (see Appendix —Table I). It ae safely be presumed that some 9,000 persons in Scotland acquired syphilis during the period 1939-1942. A disquieting feature of the increase is the disproportionate number of young people between the ages of 15 and 25 who acquired the disease (see Appendix—Table IT). 6. Gonorrheea.—Cases of gonorrhoea’ increased from 4,000 in 1922 to a maximum of 7,000 in 1929, thereafter declming gradually and irregularly to 4,300 in 1939 (see Appendix—Fig. 2). A wartime rise occurred in 1941 (6,500 gonorrheeal infection probably numbered about 21,000, four-fifths of whom were males, and within the 15-25 age-group the same disproportionate increase occurred as we have noted in connection with syphilis (see Appendix —Tables I and IT). 7. Congenital Syphilis—Congenital syphilis is definitely on the decline. Over the past decade, the yearly figure fell from 641 in 1933 to 319 in 1942 but the decrease only became marked in 1939 since when it has been progressive. We have noted that in all age groups the proportion of males is only one half that of females, a striking fact for which we have been unable to obtain a satis- factory explanation. The reduction affects all age groups up: to 25, that occurring in the 0-1 age-group being of particular significance, and the evidence suggests that the encouraging results are a direct consequence of the work done at ante-natal clinics (see Appendix—Table I). 8. Gphthalmia neonatorum.—Notified cases of ophthalmia neonatorum during the past 10 years showed a moderate fluctuation until 1939 when a slight but definite downward trend appeared. As notifications include all types of inflammatory conjunctival lesions it is impossible to ascertain the proportion due to gonococcal infection (see Appendix—Table IV). We are assured, never- theless, that the number of cases of gonococcal ophthalmia is now relatively small. 9. Soft Chancre.—Soft chancre is not a disease of major importance, the average annual figure representing about 200 males ; females scarcely ever come to clinics for treatment. 10. Non-specific conditions.—Kach year some 2,500 patients are treated for non-specific venereal infections and a further 5,000 persons on examination are found to have no actual venereal disease. The majority of these 7,500 persons may be regarded as having run the risk of contracting syphilis or gonorrhea and therefore must be included in any assessment of the problem of venereal for clinical investigation and observation. 11. Detailed tables prepared from the official returns and graphs showing the trends in the older and younger age-groups included in the Appendix are worthy of study. se ae “te \ rea t's eae . ees: WEP Are | d - a e NR RES Set sg 3 7 * f. Bante FESS hs |
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