did not understand its character and did not suspect its source. Which 

was a rather good thing--for the husband. Family peace was more 

secure. 

=Present Exaggerations.= Now a change has taken place in this respect, 

and, as is often the case with recent changes, the pendulum has swung 

to the other extreme. The silence of former days has given place to 

shouting from the housetops. The last phrase is also used almost in 

its literal sense. Many men and women, deeply stirred by the venereal 

peril, and sincerely anxious to guard boys and girls from venereal 

infection, have been indulging in very reprehensible exaggerations. 

Particularly lurid have been the exaggerations as to the prevalence of 

the disease in the male sex, with its consequent disastrous effects on 

married women. A statement made by a Dr. Noeggerath (a German 

physician who practiced at the time in New York), nearly half a 

century ago, to the effect that 80 per cent, of all men have gonorrhea 

and that 90 per cent. of these remain uncured and infect or are apt to 

infect their wives, has been shown to be a ridiculously absurd 

exaggeration. If it had been true, the race would now be at the point 

of dying out. Nevertheless, this statement is copied from book to 

book, as if it were gospel truth, as if it were a scientifically and 

statistically established fact instead of a wild, sensational guess. 

An esteemed New York physician, Dr. Prince A. Morrow, did excellent 

pioneer work in calling attention to the dangers of venereal disease. 

But, as is the case with so many "reformers," he permitted his zeal to 

run away with him occasionally, and he made statements which caused 

and are still causing the judicious to grieve. The statement, for 

instance, that there is more venereal disease among innocent, virtuous 

wives than among prostitutes is one to cause the real honest 

investigator to weep (over the human tendency to exaggeration), or to 

burst out in uproarious laughter. The ridiculousness of this statement 

becomes especially evident when we recollect that the same gentleman 

made the statement that every prostitute, without exception, was 

diseased at one time or another. If venereal disease exists among 

prostitutes to the extent of 100 per cent., then how can it exist to a 

greater extent among innocent, virtuous wives? And to still further 

emphasize the absurdity of the above statement, I will tell you that 

the extent of venereal disease among married women is believed by 

careful non-sensational venereologists not to exceed five per cent.! 

Yes, the silence of former years has given place to the lurid 

exaggeration of the present day. While on the whole the former was 

worse than the latter, the latter is bad enough, because it makes many