Venereal Disease Control

Abstract

IN an address delivered at the Third Pennsylvania Health Institute (Med. Rec., New York, Jan. 1943) Colonel Edgar Erskine Hume states that, during the War of 1914-18, General Pershing issued orders to the American Expeditionary Forces on the following lines:(a) education in sex hygiene and the nature and prevention of venereal diseases ; (b) prophylaxis ; (c) physical examinations ; (d) repression of prostitution ; (e) reporting sources of infection with dispensary treatment of infected civilians where possible ; (f) court martial of men who contracted venereal disease ; and (g) treatment of venereal disease at the front, thereby removing any possible temptation of men to become infected, and so get sent to the base. Although Pershing's programme did much good and was far in advance of that of any other country, seven million days of service were lost and a total of 338,746 soldiers were treated for venereal disease. In spite of the large number of cases, venereal disease is less prevalent in the army than in corresponding civil life. The rate of venereal disease in the United States Army has been reduced from 175 per 1,000 in 1904 to about 34 or 36, and has never been above 50 since 1926.