London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

London County Council 1920

Annual report of the Council, 1920. Vol. III. Public Health

This page requires JavaScript

xxxix
APPENDIX F.
This table sets out the number of cases notified under the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, with
regard to whom there is clear evidence of immorality. It has been divided to distinguish between
public and casual immorality.
For each category the number who showed evidences of recent venereal disease is indicated,
but this must not be taken as a statement that the others in the past have not suffered from this condition.

The table also indicates the ages of the subjects and their class so far as the Mental Deficiency Act is concerned.

Source of notification.Class and age.Prostitutes.Others.
Total.Number with recent venereal disease.Total.Number with recent venereal disease.Total.
PrisonFeeble-minded16-2121
9921 and over11
Police CourtFeeble-mindedUnder 163
16-21103
9921 and over2695
Moral imbecile16-21511
9921 and over31
Not defective21 and over41
Poor LawFeeble-minded16-21639
9921 and over2210382
Moral imbecile16-2111
9921 and over111
Not defective21 and over112
RefugesFeeble-minded16-2165272
9921 and over92242
Moral imbecile16-2111
Not defective16-2121
9921 and over211
MiscellaneousFeeble-mindedUnder 1614
9916-2173142
9921 and over3171
Moral imbecileUnder 161
9916-21111
9921 and over11
Totals118461479265

APPENDIX G.
INSURANCE ACT AND VENEREAL DISEASE.
Under Section 14 (2) of the National Insurance Act, 1911, Approved Societies were empowered
to make rules governing the payment, etc., of sickness and disablement benefits, subject, however, to
Sub-section 4 of the same Section, which provides that where the payment of sickness and disablement
benefit has been suspended on the ground that it was caused by the misconduct of the person claiming
the benefit, such person shall not thereby become disentitled to medical benefit.
All Approved Societies included in their rules, what is known as the "misconduct" rule, to the
effect that "any member rendered incapable of following his employment by immoral or disorderly conduct,
or by engaging in wanton quarrels, or by accident arising from intoxication, shall not be entitled
to sickness or disablement benefit."
Although societies generally never pressed this section, it was effective in so far that insured
persons who had contracted venereal disease as the result of misconduct never or rarely applied for
benefit.
In 1916 and 1917 an agitation, based on the findings of the Royal Commission, grew to large
dimensions, and a widespread feeling in favour of making this rule non-operative in the case of venereal
diseases became evident.
The National Insurance Act, 1918 (Section 46) provided a simple means whereby those societies
who wished to do so could amend the rule, whilst the Insurance Commissioners in August of the same
year issued a circular (A.S. 196) in which they not only advised such a course but drafted an amendment
of rule to bring it about.