lly and
clearly explain its significance and its consequences.

Let us first, however, briefly consider what may occur to others if the
boy is unfortunate enough to acquire syphilis. Again the boy fails to
comprehend the nature of his affliction. There is imminent danger of the
members of his household becoming infected. He uses the same dishes,
spoons, towels, and utensils, any one of which may convey the disease to
his father, mother, sister, or brother. He may use the common drinking
glass in school, college, or office, and spread the disease in this way.
He may kiss any member of his family, or a baby, and infect them. He may
have his hair cut, or be shaved, and the virus may be spread around in
this way if the barber does not sterilize the article used,--which he
never does. He may drink at a soda fountain, or at a saloon, and the
next individual to use the same glass may acquire the disease. He is a
menace to the individual, to the community, and to the race. Wives often
acquire syphilis from their husbands.

THE INFECTED WIFE.--It has been previously stated that eight out of
every ten males between the ages of sixteen and thirty, have had or
have, gonorrhea or syphilis. Seventy-five per cent. of these cases have
not been cured. About thirty-five per cent. of these are destined to
infect wife, or wife and children, and in all probability many others.

If a young wife acquires infection from her husband, she is exactly in
the same condition as the diseased boy,--she does not know what ails
her, so she wastes precious time in unprofitable worry. Why should she
know what the trouble is? She came to the marriage bed pure, and clean,
and healthy. Her previous education did not include instruction which
would even help her to guess what the trouble might be. She is simply
conscious of new distressing conditions which she does not understand.
She may try to believe that these conditions are incidental to the
change in her life. Shortly, however, the discharge, which she has had
for a number of weeks, and which she thought was only a leucorrhea, or
"the whites," becomes so profuse and nasty that she begins douching.
This procedure simply blinds her to the true nature of the affection,
and in the end she is driven, ashamed and reluctant, to consult a
physician. She may be informed that her condition is bad, and that it
will be necessary that she submit to a course of treatment. After a time
the physician may succeed in t