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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Oct. 1 



that may come from the abuse or improper use of this 

 function. 



Fortunately society is awakening to the great danger 

 of such ignorance and to the necessity for removing 

 it. In Germany a national association for the preven- 

 tion of venereal diseases has been formed. Some of 

 the most prominent men and women in Germany are 

 among its members. A similar association has been 

 started in Chicago, numbering many well-known men 

 and women in its membership. Recently the Ladies' 

 Home Journal published a plainly worded article on 

 the subject. 



This pamphlet is published by the Ohio State Board 

 of Health at therequest of the Women's Christian Tem- 

 perance Union, and is to be personally and properly 

 distributed by members of that organization. 



I want to be put down for myself as one of 

 the persons referred to in the above, who 

 think it false modesty to avoid mentioning 

 these -matters in the family and the home; 

 and it rejoices my heart to know that Ger- 

 many (may God bless Germany) is starting a 

 reform. I have not seen the article in the 

 Ladies' Home Journal; but I am sure it is 

 good and wise, for I know what tremendous 

 blows that pei iodical has struck at the pat- 

 ent-medicine business and many other evils. 

 One of the most terrible things connected 

 with these diseases as described above is 

 that, in spite of every thing that the best 

 physicians of our age can do, the disease 

 sometimes hangs on for years, and finally we 

 are told that not only the innocent mothers 

 but the unborn children become affected, 

 and ruined in health for life ; a.nd finally we 

 are told that in our asylum for the blind at 

 Columbus (may God be praised that we have 

 such an asylum) nearly a third of the blind 

 children have been made so for life by the 

 thoughtless, heartless sins of "the parents or 

 parent, for we men are mostly, if not alto- 

 gether, to blame for this state of affairs. 



Without proper medical treatment, and at times in 

 spite of this, the disease goes on for years and years, 

 and often for life, attacking various parts of the body, 

 and often producing death. 



The innocent children of such a parent are often 

 born with the disease, and may suffer from various de- 

 fects and infirmities on account of it. The innocent 

 mother of such children may also become affected, 

 and be ruined in health, to say nothing of her moral 

 suffering if she becomes aware of the nature and ori- 

 gin of the disease of which she and her children are 

 the victims. 



Nearly one-third of the blind children in State insti- 

 tutions have been made blind by this disease, con- 

 tracted at birth. 



Oh that some power could take these guilty 

 men and force them to go to the asylums for 

 the blind, and then let our great doctors, 

 with the help of our ministers with all their 

 ability and oratory, point to these children 

 doomed to a life of darkness, and explain in 

 voices of thunder to these fathers that the 

 curse resting on these children came directly 

 on account of their being so thoughtless as 

 to yield to the lowest passions that curse 

 mankind; by their guilty act, of almost a 

 single moment, these children are made blind 

 for life — helpless, innocent children. In a 

 former Home paper the question was asked 

 what should be done with a man who would 

 deliberately destroy the eyesight of his help- 

 less, innocent babes. Well, this pamphlet 

 of only three pages tells us that we have men 

 who are still doing this very thing, cursing 

 children, their own children, and part of 

 their own flesh and blood, by condemning 



them to go through life stone blind. This 

 pamphlet further tells us that the surgical 

 operations that so many women are just now 

 called on to undergo are, many of them, the 

 direct consequence of the acts of heartless 

 husbands along this line. 



Among young men the opinion prevails that this 

 disease is a trifling d'sease, "no worse than a bad 

 cold." This is doubtless one reason why the disease 

 is so prevalent. Men do not understand its dangers. 

 To say nothing of the possibility of infecting others, 

 often loved ones, serious complications frequently 

 arise, and the victim may be ruined for life. 



What can be done to prevent these diseases that 

 cause such great calamity to so many families? They 

 drag their slimy length through all society. Kings 

 have not escaped, and no class is wholly exempt. 

 Chastity has been preached for ages, and must still be 

 preached, but not alone by the moralist. The people 

 must be made to know and understand the dangers 

 and often terrible consequences of these social dis- 

 eases, the outcome of the " social vice." 



The attempt has been made by public authorities in 

 Europe, and to a very small extent in this country, to 

 control and limit these diseases by examining and 

 licensing prostitutes. The success, apparently, has 

 not been great, and the idea is obnoxious to most of 

 our people. 



From the above we learn that no class is 

 wholly exempt. Even kings have in times 

 past not escaped. Dear friends, I have seen 

 some of the effects of this hideous thing, 

 that can not be put into print. It came about, 

 however, by no fault or sin of my own, thank 

 God, and thanks, too, to my good Christian 

 mother; and I can assure you, too, that it 

 came about from no fault or sins of my an- 

 cestors — thank God for that; but I have had 

 a glimpse of the hideous thing notwithstand- 

 ing. May God be praised for the fact that 

 the people of our land did protest and object, 

 so that this thing of licensing shame never 

 succeeded very long. I can remember hear- 

 ing it talked about thirty or forty years ago, 

 when the city of St. Louis seemed to be con- 

 sidering the subject seriously. Our steno- 

 grapher informs me that the scheme has 

 been tried in Paris on a large and scientific 

 scale, for a long period of time, but it is now 

 generally abandoned as utterly impractical; 

 and he adds that no people have examined 

 more carefully these important questions 

 than the French, and that their decision 

 ought to be final. 



Here is something that meets my views 

 exactly : 



The greatest good will come from publicity and the 

 proper instruction by parents of boys and girls at a 

 suitable age. 



Think of it, friends ! The above statement 

 comes from the Board of Health of our great 

 State of Ohio. Now come some instructions 

 to sufferers that I heartily commend : 



PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY ONE WHO IS AFFECTED. 



Beware of the advertising quacks who publish their 

 guarantees of cure. Consult your family physician, 

 who will refer you to a specialist if this is necessary. 



Do not kiss any one. Do not drink from a cup or 

 glass that may be used by another before being washed. 

 Wher« possible, separate knives, forks, spoons, towels, 

 etc., should be used. You have sinned, but may be 

 forgiven, but sure ly no man can forgive himself if he 

 knowingly, or even carelessly, causes serious injury 

 and possibly death to some innocent person, and 

 above all to a loving, trusting wife. 



A copy of this circular will be sent to any person 

 upon application to the Ohio State Board of Health, 

 Columbus, Ohio. 



I am sorry to say that I knew young men 



