1940's Medicine and Health | Venereal Disease

Public-Health Concerns.

In 1940, 46 percent of Americans polled listed syphilis as their number one public-health concern. Of the major venereal diseases gonorrhea is the oldest and most common. In males it is self-limiting and tends to subside in four to six days. Women appear to be at least three times more susceptible than men, and ninety percent of them show no symptoms. In women the disease can persist for a long time and render them infertile. For both men and women the gonococci can enter the bloodstream and attack joints, the endocardium, or the eyes. Children born to mothers with gonorrhea often become blind, although washing the eyes of the newborn with silver nitrate helps reduce this risk. Gonorrhea is neither a killing disease nor a major crippler, but it severely reduces the health of its victims. Syphilis, another form of venereal disease, is, on the other hand, a crippler and a killer. It can be a long-term,...