the physical examinations
of the various draft boards throughout the country give us a more
complete estimate of the prevalence of venereal disease among the
prospective fathers of the next generation than any other figures for
the United States. In an article in the _New York Medical Journal_ for
February 2, 1918, Dr. Isaac W. Brewer of the Medical Reserve Corps
presents tables showing the percentage of rejections for various
disabilities among the applicants for enlistment in the regular army
from January 1, 1912, to December 31, 1915. Among 153,705 white and
11,092 coloured applicants, the rejection rate per 1,000 for venereal
disease was 196.7 for whites and 279.9 for coloured as against 91.3 for
whites and 75.0 for coloured for heart difficulties, next on the list.
In foreshadowing the results under the draft, Dr. Brewer says: "Venereal
disease is the greatest cause for rejection, and reports from the
cantonments where the National Army has assembled indicate that a large
number of the men had these diseases when they arrived at the camp. It
is probably true that venereal diseases cause the greatest amount of
sickness in our country."

Statistics available for conditions among the American Expeditionary
Forces must be treated with great caution. Detection of these diseases
at certain stages is extremely difficult. Because of the courtesy
extended to our men by our allies, cases were treated in French and
English hospitals of which no record is available. But it is fairly safe
to say that there was no such prevalence of disease as was shown by the
Exner Report to have existed on the Mexican Border. It may even be
predicted that the education in hygienic measures which the men received
may in time affect favourably the health of the male population and
through them their wives and children. But all who came in contact with
this problem in the army know that it is a long way to the
understanding of the difficulties involved before we approach a
solution. We do know, on the basis of the work, of Neisser, Lesser,
Forel, Flexner and others, that regulation and supervision seem to
increase the incidence of disease. Among the reasons for this are: (1)
difficulties of diagnosis; (2) difficulties attendant on the
apprehension and examination of prostitutes; (3) the infrequency of
examination as compared with the number of clients of these women; and
perhaps as important as any of these reasons is the false sense of
security