APPENDIX J 26s 



APPENDIX J 



Practically the only means of judging of the prevalence of 

 venereal disease in the United Kingdom is by comparing the 

 annual reports of the Director-General of the Army Medical 

 Department. The reports from the Navy are less reliable, since 

 the naval population is a very fluctuating one — fluctuating that is 

 between home and foreign ports, as well as between different home 

 ports. The reports of the Registrar-General of Deaths are totally 

 unreliable. As in the case of Alcoholism, deaths from venereal 

 disease are thought to be disgraceful, and the medical attendant 

 usually certifies to " marasmus " or " apoplexy,'' etc., not to the 

 venereal disease from which arose the immediate cause of death. 

 Moreover, many deaths remotely due to venereal disease cannot 

 be traced with any certainty to it by the medical attendant. Thus 

 if a man dies of apoplexy, for example, it is generally difficult to 

 ascertain whether the apoplexy was, or was not, due to syphilis. 

 The Army Medical reports prove that venereal disease is steadily 

 diminishing year by year. The disease rate was falling before the 

 Contagious Diseases Acts were imposed, it fell markedly during 

 their action, it rose slightly after their repeal, but has since fallen. 

 The morality of the country, however, cannot be said to be 

 improved. As already stated, few young men are continent before 

 marriage, and very many young men even now contract one or 

 other form of venereal disease. The decrease is due simply to 

 the spread of medical knowledge. Men now know better than 

 formerly how to avoid venereal disease, and, when they contract 

 it, their doctors know better how to cure it. 



The fall of the disease rates before the Acts were imposed, 

 and after their repeal, has been claimed by those opposed to 

 legislation as a proof that the diminishing rate during the operation 



