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found "freedom" against changing moral attitudes, the decline in
the stability of family life and all the complex emotional relationships upon which it depends and, in this particular instance, the
resultant increase in severe illness, anxiety neurosis, sterility and
unhappiness.
Whether sexual freedom is approved or not, provision must be
made for control of its side effects. Perhaps because of our welltried methods and organised clinics infectious syphilis seems
largely to have been contained. It is gonorrhoea which is causing
the greatest anxiety and, indeed, it is anticipated that its incidence
is likely to supplant measles as the most common of our infectious
diseases. Although very susceptible to treatment, gonorrhoea has
defied all efforts to prevent its spread. The highest rate of infection
occurs among those 20 to 24 years of age although girls from 15 to
19 years form the largest single group. One specialist has estimated
that not less than 500 women per year become sterile from the
effects of gonorrhoea. During the current year, the country
recorded a total of 51,148 cases, an increase of 13.7% over that
for 1968 and 8% greater than the post-war epidemic year of 1946.
With a total of 40,845, non-gonococcal urethritis in males in
1969 was 14.3% higher thus continuing the trend evident since this
category was first separately recorded in 1951.
At the Greenwich District Hospital Centre in the Miller Wing,
new cases of venereal disease treated during 1969 rose overall by
26.5% and specifically by 22.3% in males and 35% in females
while at the Dreadnought Seamen's Hospital Centre the total
(applicable to males only) increased by 19%.
I am indebted to Drs. A. Grimble and D. Erskine, Physicians i/c
at the Miller and Dreadnought (Seamen's Hospital) Treatment
Centres respectively for the following statistics for 1969 :—
New Cases Treated at Centres Within the Borough

Cases of venereal disease in Greenwich residents coming to the
notice of the department during 1969 are given in the accompanying table. They show disturbing advances over the figures for the