Psychiatric and Allied Aspects of The

[Received July 7, 1947.] IT has been common experience of the two World Wars that, whereas the venereal diseases rate amongst the civilian population 'rises steeply during the war period, the most marked increase in the Army incidence is, in all Armies, in the immediate post-war period. . . In South-East Asia Command, in which theatre this present survey was made, the end of the Japanese War had seen a remarkable a~d steady fall in the incidence of malaria, dysentery, and, indeed, in all admissions to hospital. The only major blot on the preventive medicine picture was'the steadily rising incidence of venereal diseases amongst botIi British and I~dian' Troops. -In the period just prior to this survey the average admission to hospital rate of troops with V.D. was 140 per thousand per annum for all Allied Land Forces, South-East Asia. In certain Commands within. the theatre the incidence rate reached rather more than double the overall figure, whilst one Unit on one return reached the unenViable record of an incidence of 1,621 per thousand per annum. ' . It was, therefore, decided"to make a survey of the psychiatric aspectsof this problem, so that a strong and fr~sh attack could be made upon it through both Medical and " A " channels. Whilst some of the findings are specific to the particular theatre, it is felt that they have sufficient general application to make their publication of interest.