View report page

23
VENEREAL DISEASES.
In the month of May information was received from the Local Government Board
that venerea] disease was alleged to be rife on certain vessels which had been icebound
in the port of Archangel ; the names of some of these vessels bound to London were
given and the desirability of action on the lines of acquainting the captain and crew
of each such ship of the facilities, if any, which existed in the port for treatment of
these diseases was emphasised.
I found that the Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich, within easy reach of the berthing
places of these vessels, was prepared to receive any seamen sent there.
In June, on arrival of one of the ships, two cases of gonorrhoea were found and
advised ; and two other cases had occurred during the voyage.
At this time, in view of the recently published Report of the Royal Commission
on Venereal Diseases, of the advance that has been made in the knowledge and treatment
of the disease and of the ripeness of the matter for legislation, I caused a register
to be kept of all cases of venereal disease which came under the notice ot your boarding
Medical Officers at Gravesend. The results of their observation over three months
are appended.