Report of cases under treatment in the Westmoreland Lock Hospital, for the half-year ending December 31, 1868 / by Mr. Morgan.

  • Morgan, John, 1829-1876.
Date:
[1869?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of cases under treatment in the Westmoreland Lock Hospital, for the half-year ending December 31, 1868 / by Mr. Morgan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    REPORT OF CASES UNDEE TEEATMENT IN Jl0spital, POR THE HALF-TEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1868. BY MRj_MORGAN, F.R.C.S.I., &c. SURGEON TO THE HOSPITAL. the subject of the repression of venereal disease becomes daily more intensely interesting to the scientific enquirer as well as to the political economist, I have endeavoured in drawing up the following condensed report of the cases under my care in the Hospital, to give material which will interest both, and form matter for grave consideration as to the best manner of restraining this public scourge. On the one hand, we see the young (even at the age of 15 years) entering upon a life of shame, the subject of a disease which will curtail their existence, and at the same time render them plague spots, and disseminators of contagion ; and, on the other hand, we find those who have been hardened in their course, and have been twice, three times, four times, and even five times the vehicles of the poison ; others again, who have been in pursuit of their unhappy life while the subjects of a genital sore for as long as 17, 18, 20, and 36 months. The oft-cited illustra- tion of the loss entailed on the State by the non-effectiveness of a portion of the British army on account of venereal affections, has put the necessity of taking active means for repressing the spread of the disease in a strong light; as it is found that, by this disease alone, the entire force serving in the United Kingdom is incapacitated for one week ; and in the navy, 586 men per day—equalling the whole complement of such a vessel as H.M.S, Royal Oak. In the wards of this Hospital, from enquiry I have instituted, even a stronger case can be made, and it can be shown nearly to certain demonstration that incredible mischief may be inflicted by the unrestricted license allowed under the present system. Thus, I find, as shown at page 3, that of those admitted suffering from acute primary sores, most of them subjects who were in the early part of their career, 52 acknowledge to have been living irregularly, and having had no other mode of life, while actually having the sore on them at the time, for periods varying from 1 to 12 weeks. It is not unreasonable to suppose that they would have communication with 12 or 14 persons a week during this period, which would give about 2,500 persons who were in imminent danger of contagion by