Syphilis Control in New Haven *

The control and ultimate extermination of syphilis is the frank objective of the war being waged by the United States Public Health Service and other health authorities throughout the Nation. Surgeon General Thomas Parran emphasizes that this difficult goal can be attained only by the cooperation of an informed public, alive to the menace of this devastating, highly prevalent disease. The most encouraging aspect of the campaign, according to Stokes,t is the fact that if physician and patient wisely perform their respective functions, cure is all but inevitable. Details of programs in cities for combating syphilis differ. They are influenced by the local characteristics of population and resources and by the extent of development of public health. Yet the principles involved in the program of each community should be similar.: The chief features of a program include education, case finding, and treatment. Our aim here is to trace briefly the history of organized services in New Haven for combating syphilis and to appraise the present program. Historical: Until the World War little attention was directed to the problem of the control of venereal diseases. Then the United States Government put into effect a program known internationally as the American Plan, consisting of education, recreation, legal and protective measures, and medical and public health work. A separate bureau of venereal diseases in the United States Public Health Service was established in 1918, made possible by the passage by Congress of the Chamberlain-Kahn Act. This Act also provided