Commercialized Prostitution in New York CityKneeland, George J. (George Jackson)
History
Commercialized Prostitution in New York City
Kneeland, George J. (George Jackson)
Prostitution -- New York (State) -- New York
A series of complement fixation tests on blood specimens from 466 of the
inmates show, however, that a very much larger number are infected with
either syphilis or gonorrhoea or both of these diseases.[307] With the
Wassermann test 176, or 37.7 percent gave positive reactions; 273, or 58.6
percent gave negative reactions, and 17, or 3.6 percent gave doubtful
reactions. With a modification of the Wassermann technique where the tests
were allowed to stand for four hours at ice box temperature to fix
complement, instead of the usual one hour at 37°C. in the incubator, 224,
or 48 percent gave positive reactions, 212, or 45.4 percent gave negative
reactions and 30, or 6.4 percent gave doubtful reactions, showing an
increase of 10.3 percent of positive reactions for syphilis over the
method of fixing complement at 37°C. The same sera were tested by the
complement fixation test for gonorrheal infection with the result that 134
or 29 percent gave positive reactions; 234, or 50 percent gave negative
reactions and 98, or 21 percent gave doubtful reactions, fixing complement
at 37°C. for one hour. When the ice box method of fixation was used, 306
or 65.6 percent gave positive reactions; 101, or 21.7 percent gave
negative reactions and 59, or 12.6 percent gave doubtful reactions,
showing an increase of 36.9 percent of positive results over the method of
fixing complement at 37°C. in the incubator.
Vaginal smears from the same persons were examined but it was possible to
demonstrate the presence of the gonococcus in but five of them, although
many of them show the presence of numerous pus corpuscles.[308]
The full significance of the results above stated does not appear until
the statistics are summarized. Of the 466 girls tested, only 50, that is,
10.7 percent, are found to be free from venereal infection. Practically 90
percent showed infection; 170, or 36.4 percent gave positive reactions for
both syphilis and gonorrhoea; 27, or 5.79 percent were positive for
syphilis only, and 117, or 25.1 percent were positive for gonorrhoea
only.[309]
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