s speedy admission to the local
hospital. The woman continued in her employment.
_Case 2._--A social-hygiene worker in her evidence said: "I think the
majority of cases I deal with (girls attending a hospital clinic) are
caused through mental depravity, and in some instances you cannot
convince them--they continue to carry on. I have tried all I know how to
show them the dangers, but they just laugh at me. I think it is really
in many cases just a mental condition--mental degeneration, possibly."
This officer explained that even while actually attending the clinic
some of these girls (affected with gonorrhoea), without any semblance of
reserve or decency, would discuss arrangements for further intercourse
with men, and on leaving the clinic (still in an infectious state) were
even seen to go off with young men waiting for them.
_Case 3._--Asked if he knew of any cases where the disease had been
contracted innocently, a medical practitioner stated in evidence: "I
know of a case where two girls in ---- were infected (syphilis) on the
lip through a young fellow handing them a cigarette which he was
smoking."
_Case 4._--A medical man in private practice, and Medical Superintendent
of the hospital in a small country town, states: "Although, judging from
an experience of over fifteen years, this district would appear to be
peculiarly free from any variety of venereal disease, I think it may be
of interest to your Committee to know what happened here in the early
part of 1918. At that time there came to reside with her father in ----,
a township about nine miles south of ----, a woman, ----, who, shortly
after her arrival consulted the late Dr. ----, and was found to be the
subject of secondary syphilis.... In all, three cases of gonorrhoea, four
of soft chancre (three of whom suffered from phagadoemic ulceration which
laid them up for weeks), and six cases of purely syphilitic infection
came under my care, all traceable to this same woman. As every case of
gonorrhoea and soft chancre afterwards developed syphilis, ultimately I
had thirteen cases of syphilis under my treatment alone. Others, I have
good reason to believe, went to other towns, and doubtless some failed
to seek any kind of help.... Having prevailed upon the woman to come to
my surgery ... I told her that she was suffering from three varieties of
venereal disease, which she was freely disseminating. I then read to her
that part of the Act which deals with th
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