without becoming diseased. One man commits many immoral acts and
suffers not at all; another man becomes syphilitic by yielding for the
very first time; the penalty is purely fortuitous. There is no necessary
connection at all between immorality and disease. The dangers of sexual
intercourse are due to dirt and promiscuity rather than to immorality, and
in part to the physical conformation of the individual. Virtue has far
deeper and more substantial foundations than the mere gusts of fear. It is
founded on necessary and responsible guardianship of the very gates of
life.

III.--MEDICAL FORMULAE.

The medical formulae for venereal disease preventive ointments for men, and
venereal disease preventive suppositories and ointments for women, should
be decided upon, after thorough investigation and test, by the Departments
of Public Health, and none other should be permitted to be sold. Printed
directions should be issued, duly authorised by the Departments of Public
Health, and no other directions should be supplied to the public with the
venereal disease preventives. In these respects, to the best of my belief,
the Division of Venereal Diseases of the Pennsylvania Department of
Health, co-operating with the United States Public Health Service, will
play the leading part; is, indeed, already doing so. Under the direction
of Dr. Edward Martin, Commissioner of Health, and Dr. S. Leon Gans,
Director, Division of Venereal Diseases, specimen tubes are tested and
approved (with directions and other printed matter)[O] by the Health
Laboratories of the Department; and certificates are issued to
manufacturing chemists authorising the manufacture of ointments made in
accordance with approved formulae. Requests are made officially by the
Department to retail chemists and druggists to sell, and to medical
practitioners to recommend, suitable venereal disease preventives to the
general public in a proper manner. In time it will probably be found
advisable to authorise only a standard type of tube--preferably the metal
tube with elongated nozzle and expanded metal cap--filled with one simple
self-disinfecting ointment.

[Footnote O: In some cases the printed matter used by the drug companies
also bears the "_Official Endorsement_" of the local "_Social Purity
Association_" stamped upon it in indelible ink--a magnificent tribute to
the educative work of the Public Health Department, as well as to the
enlightened courage of the