1 University College, Dublin. Department of Pathology and Bacteriology,
School of Medicine,
Cecilia Street, Dublin. 2nd Febry. '17 Dear Kirkpatrick, I see you have put the V.D. business down for dis-
cussion this afternoon, but I am sorry to say that I am prevented
by another engagement from attending the meeting of the College. You will observe that in Belfast they have gone to far as to
hold a public meeting on the subject, at which is was resolved to es-
tablish a branch of the National Council for Combating Venereal Dis-
eases. The principal speaker was Professor Lindsay, and he was sup-
ported by the Bishop of Down, Sir John Byers and Captain W.J. Wilson
(Lecturer on Hygiene, Q.U.B.) (See current number of B.M.J. page 134).
Whether the state of feeling among the general public people in Dublin is
quite ripe for a public discussion of so delicate a matter I do not
know. It seems open to question, though it is not exactly easy to
state in words why we in Dublin should not be able to take action
which has been successfully taken in Belfast and Liverpool. The course of action that seems to me least open to ob-
jection would be for that the two Royal Colleges and the two Universities,
as representing the Medical profession, should meet and send up a small
deputation to the Local Government Board, asking them to take steps 2 similar to those already taken by the Local Government Boards of
England and Scotland. (See enclosed reference "A") In order to facilitate the discussion I have drawn up a
series of references, showing the leading steps that have been taken
in this matter in England and in Belfast during the past seven months.
With one exception they are all from the B.M.J., so that if the
numbers are available, the references can be at once looked up. I remain,
Yours sincerely, Dr. Edward J. MacWeeney T.P.C. Kirkpatrick Esqr. B.A., M.D.
11, Fitzwilliam Place,
Dublin.