ANTE-NATAL HYGIENE : DISCUSSION 397 



and would have to be greatly promoted in the future if 

 they were to still further reduce infantile mortality. 



Dr. HELEN MACMURCHY (Toronto) said that inasmuch as 

 this was a Conference at which the Dominions over Seas 

 were represented she might refer to the recent action of 

 the Canadian Medical Association. She was surprised to 

 find herself differing on any subject from men like Dr. 

 Moore and Dr. Naish, but she did humbly contend that the 

 presumption was that syphilis was a large cause of infant 

 mortality. They did not know whether it was or not, but 

 anyone who had done even a little work in a maternity 

 hospital must remember the long list of records of numerous 

 miscarriages. They had such cases as a woman presenting 

 herself who had been pregnant five times, and there had 

 been no living child. With such cases before them they 

 could not help feeling that the presumption was that this 

 disease was a large cause of mortality, or at least sterility. 

 What she desired to say was that it was a comfort and a 

 relief to find this subject at last in the open air. She could 

 not express the feeling of gratitude which she had to those 

 responsible for the programme of the Conference and to 

 Dr. Mott for what they had just heard. All through one's 

 professional life one felt that there was something which 

 was an imperative duty, and yet one had never been able to 

 lift a finger to do anything. This was a cause of very 

 grievous regret to one who felt that the opportunity might 

 at some time come. She thought the hour was at hand. 

 What happened in the Canadian Medical Association was 

 this : It was the request of the Local Committee that in the 

 programme of the Public Health Section of the Canadian 

 Medical Association a place should be given to the topic of 

 the *' Venereal Disease as a Public Health Question "; and 

 they had a discussion which perhaps was the most earnest 

 and most enthusiastic of any of their discussions. Every- 

 one seemed as it were to be glad to have the opportunity of 

 speaking on the subject. They were most indebted perhaps 

 to the physiologists and laboratory men and to Professor 

 R. Harris, who brought the matter first before them. The 

 question was deemed so important that a committee had 

 been formed to report next year as to the steps which 

 should be taken. Something ought to be begun and done 

 now, and she thought it should be done by them. She 

 hoped to have the satisfaction before she went home of 

 -eeing the appointment of a Royal Commission, which would 

 be a help not only to Great Britain but to the whole of the 

 Kmpire and to the English-speaking people all over the 

 world. 



