SYPHILIS AND PROSTITUTION 61 



he is unwilling to do this for himself and his posterity, social laws 

 should do it for him. 



Sanitary laws are in effect in many places which help to pre- 

 vent infection from such sources as public drinking cups, towels, 

 bed-linen, and other articles, but such laws, excellent as far as they 

 go, are inadequate, since no law can cover all the articles which 

 may be rendered infective by contact with a syphilis sore. One 

 common source of infection, though more for gonorrhea than for 

 syphilis, is the improperly constructed toilets in public schools. 

 These are usually built so high, and of such a type that school 

 children, little girls especially, are exposed to infection every 

 time they use them. Many cases of venereal diseases in school 

 children, particularly in larger cities, have been traced to this 

 source. 



No preventive measure which does not strike directly at the 

 primary source of infection can be adequate in coping with any 

 disease. Just as we fight malaria through the mosquito, sleep- 

 ing sickness through tsetse flies and typhoid through contami- 

 nated water and houseflies, so we must fight syphilis and other 

 venereal diseases through prostitution. The abolishment of this 

 vice would unquestionably mean the abolishment of venereal 

 diseases. At present, at least in many places, this is certainly 

 not possible. The abolition of " red light " districts is invariably 

 followed by a parallel increase in clandestine prostitution, luring 

 many who would abstain from unmasked brothels, to say nothing 

 of the increase in seduction and rape of innocent girls. The 

 most feasible plan at present, as successfully tried in many 

 European cities, especially Germany, is the municipal supervision 

 of restricted " red light " districts. By continuous medical 

 attendance, and the enforcement of strict sanitary measures, the 

 normal spread of disease from this source has been reduced to a 

 great extent. It may be argued that municipal control of prosti- 

 tution implies public sanction of it, and is therefore morally 

 wrong. This perhaps is true but there can be no question about 

 the futility of attempting, at the present state of our civilization, 

 to abolish prostitution or even to lessen it materially by passing 

 laws against it. In view of this it is merely a question of a greater 

 or lesser evil, and there can be no moral crime in lessening the 

 dangers from an evil which we are powerless to destroy. It may 

 be said that the lessening of danger from disease in houses of 



