ESSAY-REVIEWS 87 



an Inter-Departmental Committee, appointed to inquire into 

 the physical deterioration of certain classes of the population, 

 recommended " the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry 

 into the prevalence and effects of syphilis, having special regard 

 to the possibility of making the disease notifiable, and to the 

 adequacy of hospital accommodation for its treatment." 



In 1905 arrangements were made to present a Memorial on 

 the old lines to Mr. Balfour, who had then succeeded Lord 

 Salisbury as Prime Minister, but he went out of office a few 

 days before the date fixed for the deputation, and the subse- 

 quent political situation made it impossible to proceed further 

 at that time. 



The next effort was made in 191 1 . At that time the Royal 

 Commission on the Poor Laws in its report had recommended 

 that the law giving power to workhouse authorities to detain 

 inmates suffering from contagious diseases should be extended 

 so as to apply to persons suffering from Venereal Disease in the 

 infectious stage. In view of this recommendation Col. Long's 

 Committee decided to approach the President of the Local 

 Government Board (Mr. John Burns) and urge that his Depart- 

 ment should take action. A Memorial was therefore prepared, 

 and signed by large numbers of men and women representatives 

 of associations, committees, homes, etc., by numerous medical 

 men holding official positions, and by men representing all pro- 

 fessions, religions, and shades of thought. A large number of 

 Boards of Guardians, City and Borough Councils, and other 

 bodies passed resolutions in support of it, and it was duly 

 presented to the President of the Local Government Board. 

 Mr. John Burns was most sympathetic in his reception of the 

 deputation, and promised to do all in his power to promote the 

 cure and stay the progress of Venereal Disease by administrative 

 action, and the Memorial was duly pigeonholed. 



In 191 3 Sir Malcolm Morris and several other individuals 

 feeling strongly on the matter, in view of the International 

 Congress due to meet in London in August, came to the con- 

 clusion that to approach politicians and heads of Departments 

 was merely so much labour lost, and that the only way to get 

 a chance of obtaining a full inquiry was to startle and impress 

 the " man in the street," in order that public pressure should 

 be brought to bear on the Government so that, yielding to 

 panic and clamour, that should be granted which was denied 



