Trevethin Report

One year ago the British Minister of Health, in view of wide public agitation and controversy between the National Council for Combatting Venereal Diseases and the Society for the Prevention of Venereal Diseases, and at the suggestion of Lord Dawson, the King's physician, appointed a committee to investigate and bring in an authoritative pronouncement on the most efficient medical measures for preventing syphilis and gonorrhea, and the ethical justification for their use. The committee contained some of the most distinguished and impartial names in England, including Lord Trevethin (former Lord Chief Justice) as Chairman, Dr. John Brownlee, Prof. Georges Dreyer, Sir William Leishman, Dr. J. H. Sequeira, Dr. Dorothy Hare and others. The report of the committee, just published, is unanimous, except for one man who early resigned, and should settle several questions which have long been acrimoniously debated, the most important being that of prophylaxis, or preventive treatment after exposure, a practice used in all armies during the World War, and since introduced in a few civilian communities against strong moral opposition. Lord Trevethin's committee concludes that self-disinfection by an intelligent layman is likely to be effective under favorable conditions of discipline and sobriety, but there is little evidence to show that it would reduce the volume of venereal disease in the civil community. It is comparatively useless for women. It is therefore not to be encouraged, and the commercial advertisement of disinfecting drugs and devices should be prohibited. Disinfection by skilled persons at public clinics may be efficient, but is of limited practical value on account of its cost and loss of time. The treatment work of regular clinics after infection, on the other hand, is highly commended.

For the rest, the committee puts its trust in: 1) continuous education of the community in regard to the nature, dangers, treatment of venereal diseases; 2) the elimination of those conditions of life which tend to foster promiscuity and the spread of disease. The committee recommends special measures for the quarantine of seaports against persons' suffering from venereal diseases, for the treatment of infected seamen and for control and treatment of mental defectives. Thus, on the whole, the committee aligns itself with the more moderate wing of the social hygiene movement in England and the United States, which places the emphasis on educational measures.