Synopsis of the final report of the Royal Commission on Venereal Diseases / by Douglas White.

  • White, Douglas
Date:
1916
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Synopsis of the final report of the Royal Commission on Venereal Diseases / by Douglas White. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Royal Commission on Venereal Diseases. Per oo Dee REPORT. This Royal Commission was constituted on November rst, 1913; its membership was as follows: Lord Sydenham, of Combe, G.C.S.1., G.C.M.G., G.C_LE., F.R.S. (Chairman), Sir David Bry nmor Jones, Kt. ; Sir Kenelm Digby, G.C.B:; Sir Almeric Fitzroy, K.C.B., K.C.V.O.; Sir Malcolm Morris, | A BS es 2 Ga aes Edin.; Sit John Cotte, . Ki. 'M-De: Arthur Newsholme, C.B., M.D.; Rev. Canon J..W. Horsley ; mev. Ur. job scott Lidgcity Dr. VW. Matt, F.RS. > Miss, 4). echariep, ND.) sb. bane, Esq., Fk.C.5.; Phiip Snowden, Esq.; Mrs. Louise Creighton ; Mrs. E. M. Burgwin. The Final Report was issued on February 11th, 1916, with the conclusions at which the Commissioners had arrived after the examination of 85 witnesses at 86 meetings. [In the present publication, marginal references are placed in order to facilitate comparison with the full Report. Abbreviations : V.D. Venereal Diseases. S. — Syphilis. G. = Gonorrhea. L.G.B. = Local Government Board. G.P.1I.- = General Paralysis of Insane. R.C, - = ‘Koyal Commission. } I.—INTRODUCTION. §§ 1-9. | PREVIOUS STATE ACTION. Sir. Previous action by the State in regard to V.D. has been limited to the Contagious Diseases Acts of 1864, and (amended) 1866 and 1869. They were concerned with the Army and Navy alone, and were applied in certain naval and military centres. They involved the sur- veillance and medical examination of prostitutes in those localities. A strong popular opposition arose against the Acts; Committees of Investigation were appointed in 1868 and 1869; a Royal Commission in 1870; a House of Commons Committee in 1879. The Reports were — lukewarm in favour of the system; public opinion was hot against it; in consequence, the compulsory examina- tion of women was abolished by Order in 1883, and the Acts were repealed in 1886. Since then, no further Acts have been passed dealing with this subject. The present R.C. states that, while they are precluded from con- sidering the policy of the C.D. Acts, they have been con- vinced by the evidence that no advantage would accrue