Syphilis not only causes loss of life directly, but many deaths ascribed to other causes in the Registrar-General's returns are due to the after-effects of this disease. It is responsible for many still-births and abortions, and its evil effects are seen in such children as survive. These effects may persist until the third generation.
Gonorrhœa, popularly, but quite erroneously, supposed to be a comparatively mild complaint, is regarded by medical men as being as serious a disease as syphilis. It is difficult to cure, especially in women, unless properly treated at the outset. It is a great cause of sterility in both sexes.
Owing to the absence of accurate statistics it is impossible to make comparisons between New Zealand and other countries as regards the prevalence of venereal disease, or to say whether it is increasing or decreasing in this country.
There are in New Zealand no fewer than 3,031 persons being treated by registered medical practitioners for venereal disease in some form, or for the effects thereof—1 person in every 428 of our population. At the clinics since their establishment 3,634 patients have been treated—3,038 males, 596 females.
An interesting calculation as to the prevalence of syphilis in New Zealand has been made by Dr. Hay, Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals. Working on what is known as Fournier's Index—the relation of the number of cases of dementia paralytica existing at any one time to the number of concurrent syphilitic infectious—he computes the number of persons in New Zealand now who have or have had syphilis to be 33,000, or 1 to every 38 of the population.
The Committee desire to state, however, that in their opinion there can be no accurate estimate of the prevalence of venereal disease until some system of obtaining accurate statistics has been adopted. One point which has come out clearly in their investigations is that venereal disease is sufficiently prevalent to cause serious concern and to call for energetic action.
Evidence was given to the Committee to show that children with mental and physical defects due to venereal diseases may become a charge on the State; that a proportion of these on being released become parents of defective children, who in their turn have to be supported at the public expense. It was also shown that such defectives have little sexual control, and are usually very prolific.
According to the Commissioner of Police there are only 104 professional prostitutes in New Zealand.
There is, however, a great deal of "amateur" prostitution, and this is chiefly responsible for the spread of venereal diseases.
The evidence points to a good deal of laxity of conduct among young people of all social conditions, especially in the large towns. This is generally attributed by the witnesses to the weakening of home influence and the restlessness of the age.