DR. F. W. MOTT'S PAPER 393 



benefits under the Insurance Act, has not the time 

 come for seriously grappling with this foul disease ? Is 

 tuberculosis the only disease to be considered ? Why ! 

 syphilis makes the soil for the seeds of tuberculosis 

 by lowering the vital resistance of all the organs in 

 the body ; it is the greatest cause of infant mortality, 

 of diseases of all kinds affecting the nervous system, 

 and the sole cause of the most terrible of all forms 

 of insanity. Why does the Government linger in 

 dealing with this problem of National efficiency, it 

 being just as important as tuberculosis? "It is 

 unpopular" and "must be covered up"; "it does 

 not bring votes " at present. I say at present, for 

 when women obtain votes they may demand pro- 

 tection for themselves and their offspring ; the political 

 and municipal pillars of society will then be com- 

 pelled to consider this question from a different 

 standpoint to what they have been accustomed 

 to do. 



PREVENTIVE MEASURES WHICH COULD BE UNDER- 

 TAKEN BY THE AUTHORITIES. 



The disease is preventible, then why not pre- 

 vented ? You may ask : What should be done ? I 

 would say, first and foremost : Do not cover up the 

 evil from a false prudery ; let it be widely known. 

 Educate the public conscience to the necessity of 

 seriously dealing with the question from a preventive 

 as well as a curative point of view. A fruitful com- 

 mencement could be made by examining the bloods 

 by the Wassermann test of all suspect mothers and 

 children. All those mothers with a positive reaction, 

 even if apparently healthy, could be treated with a 

 view to their bearing living children. All children 

 born of suspect parents, even apparently healthy, but 

 who gave a positive reaction, could, be treated until the 

 reaction was negative, with a view to the preven- 

 tion of disease later in life. Government or Municipal 

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