196 TABOO AND GENETICS 



31, 1915. Among 153,705 white and 11,092 

 coloured applicants, the rejection rate per 1,000 

 for venereal disease was 196.7 for whites and 

 279.9 for coloured as against 91.3 for whites and 

 75.0 for coloured for heart difficulties, next on 

 the list. In foreshadowing the results under 

 the draft, Dr. Brewer says : " Venereal disease 

 is the greatest cause for rejection, and reports 

 from the cantonments where the National Army 

 has assembled indicate that a large number of 

 the men had these diseases when they arrived 

 at the camp. It is probably true that venereal 

 diseases cause the greatest amount of sickness 

 in our country." 



Statistics available for conditions among the 

 American Expeditionary Forces must be treated 

 with great caution. Detection of these diseases 

 at certain stages is extremely difficult. Because 

 of the courtesy extended to our men by our 

 allies, cases were treated in French and English 

 hospitals of which no record is available. But 

 it is fairly safe to say that there was no such 

 prevalence of disease as was shown by the 

 Exner Report to have existed on the Mexican 

 Border. It may even be predicted that the 

 education in hygienic measures which the men 

 received may in time affect favourably the health 

 of the male population and through them their 

 wives and children. But all who came in con- 

 tact with this problem in the army know that it 



