MEDICAL SECTION 



June 28, pleads for a Royal Commission to be appointed 

 to consider the question of the prevention of syphilis, 

 and he advocates notification. He points out what 

 I have emphasized, that because severe bone disease, 

 skin disease and visceral disease due to syphilis are 

 not so prevalent as formerly, nevertheless syphilis 

 is responsible for an enormous amount of disease 

 insidious in onset and progress, but nevertheless 

 dangerous to the commonweal. 



The blood test of all the children in imbecile and 

 idiot asylums has shown that a far larger proportion 

 of these children are congenital syphilitics than was 

 formerly thought. 



THE INCIDENCE OF SYPHILIS IN THE POPULATION 

 AND ITS RELATION TO NERVOUS AND MENTAL 

 DISEASE, ESPECIALLY GENERAL PARALYSIS OF THE 

 INSANE. 



It is impossible in England to arrive at any 

 definite conclusions regarding the prevalence of 

 syphilitic infection among the population ; likewise it 

 is impossible to arrive at any conclusions relating to 

 the frequency of the incidence of disease of the 

 nervous system caused directly or indirectly by 

 syphilis ; still the experience of general practitioners, 

 general physicians or nerve specialists, is to the 

 effect that syphilis is by far the most important cause 

 of disease of the nervous system. From an economic 

 public health point of view the importance of the 

 subject cannot be over-estimated ; for if the virus 

 attacks the nervous system it is rarely that a complete 

 and permanent cure results even with efficient treat- 

 ment. Now that we know that general paralysis of 

 the insane is caused by syphilitic infection, the import- 

 ance of dealing with the problem may appear more 

 urgent to the Government. I have been making 

 investigations regarding the incidence of general 



