On September 1, the 25th anniversary of its establishment in New Haven, the Venereal Disease Control Clinic of the Health Department moved from 106 William Street, in the "downtown section" to the Hospital of St. Raphael, where treatment, consultation, and office rooms have been provided. The staff remains unchanged and the same office hours are in affect, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 p. m.

In 1918, when Army and Navy physical and medical examination statistics during the First World War revealed an amazingly large number of draft-age men infected with Venereal Disease, chiefly syphilis, general public concern was aroused nationwide over this problem. When Federal authorities, through the United States Public Health Service, placed funds at the disposal of the state and municipal governments to cope with the venereal diseases, New Haven became a pioneer in this developing program.

A trial clinic was set up here on September 1, 1918 and this proved so successful that the clinic was placed upon a permanent basis on November 1 of that year. The first quarters were in the New Haven Dispensary which then occupied the building at Cedar Street and Congress Avenue. The staff consisted of a director, who was an acting assistant surgeon of the U. S. Public Health Service, a medical assistant, a male and a female nurse, and a social worker. Shortly after its establishment, the Clinic moved to 1404 Chapel Street and then to Grace Hospital, with clinic entrance at 1423 Chapel Street, corner of Beers Street.

At the beginning, the Clinic was financed by Federal, State, and City funds, the annual cost being approximately $8,000, of which the government appropriated half, plus the salvarsans used, and the City, $3,000, while fees from patients made up the balance required. During the first full year there were 1,014 new patients admitted to the Clinic and 9,996 treatments administered.

During a war, as at present, the whole nation becomes conscious of the need for social protection. This was true in 1917 and 1918 as it is true today. Out of that urgent need grew the present Municipal Clinic. Unfortunately, following World War I, interest in social protection lapsed. The Clinic continued its life-saving and economically important work quietly and without fanfare as year after year the health authorities lamented the lack of public interest in what they recognized as a most pressing public health problem. Publicity seemed to be the greatest need then in the war against the Venereal Diseases, in the opinion of the leading health authorities. The "break" came finally in the middle 1930's when Surgeon-General Parran began his battle against the Venereal Diseases, which opened the press, the home magazines and the ratio to public discussion of these long hidden diseases.

The New Haven Clinic kept pace with the trends of the times, and was particularly fortunate in those who were chosen to direct and carry on its activities. When Dr. Israel Kleiner resigned January 1, 1925, Dr. Maurice J. Strauss succeeded him as direct or, a position he has held to the present time.

On March 1, 1926, when Grace Hospital discontinued its dispensary, the Health Department was obliged to find new quarters. After a careful survey of needs, the Department leased a three-story brick building at 106 William Street, near the corner of Olive Street, for the Clinic. At the beginning, the Tuberculosis Clinic shared the building, but within a short time, the place was given over exclusively to the treatment of the Venereal Diseases.

One of the earliest requirements which was recognized by the Clinic was that of the following-up of delinquent patients. This was begun as early as 1925 and led to the establishment of an active index system which proved invaluable in the work of the clinic. The follow-up system has been of great advantage to both clinic and patients.

The need for additional personnel was also felt especially with the burden which came during the depression years. A medical assistant was added to the staff in 1930 and other help came later when the Federal Government placed special funds at the disposal of the Department, especially those provided by the LaFollette-Bullwinkle Act.

Most recent of the advances of the Bureau of Venereal Disease Control as it is now designated, was the establishment last year of a diagnostic venereal disease clinic in the City Court, a project which promises much for the control of these diseases. The Court Clinic opened in September, 1942. A session is held each morning prior to the court session, and smears, cultures and blood tests are taken when indicated.

Although it is not likely this article will reach those who are in need of the services available at the Clinic, it is hoped that doctors, social workers, and others interested will endeavor to bring this information to all who may come to their attention.

Just to the west of the old private pavilion of St. Raphael's Hospital on Chapel Street is the stairway leading down into the new St. Raphael's Hospital dispensary. It is here that the Venereal Disease Clinic and the Division of Venereal Disease of the New Haven Department of Health will be located.

As the patients enter, they come into a common waiting room. The use of a common waiting room in this type of work is new to this clinic but is an accepted modern procedure. A short distance down a corridor to the left, but within easy vision of the waiting room, is the office of the clinic. Because of the nature of the work, the, records of this particular clinic are highly confidential in nature. For this reason, the office which houses these records is not accessible to the general hospital staff but only to the staff of the Health Department's Division of Venereal Disease. There will be a clerk present during clinic hours who will get out the records of the patients, as they come in, and deliver them to the clinic physicians.

The treatment and consultation rooms are around another corner completely isolated from the waiting room. There are three rooms which will be used by the clinic. The first is simply a room in which the physician or medical social worker will be able to interview patients. The room next to this is the treatment room for female patients, divided most of the way by a partition; - it really forms two private cubicles both of which have access at the back to a long bench on which there is all the necessary apparatus for sterilization of instruments and preparation of medicines to be administered, and also a sink where the physicians may scrub up.

In these cubicles will be examining tables, lights, and the necessary chairs, stools and instrument cabinets. The next room, the treatment room for male patients, is similar to this one excepting that provision has also been made for the procuring of s pecimens whereby the physician appraises the progress of the condition. These provisions are the most modern in design.

This division of the Health Department for 25 years served that section of the New Haven public which has needed this care and which has been unable to pay the fees of the private practitioner. In addition it has by means of all the recognized devices and measures for control of venereal diseases protected the health of the entire community. It is perhaps significant that the Division of Venereal Disease should, on exactly the 25th anniversary of its founding, move into quarters which are as modern as any and which have been equipped and built exactly as the division has wanted it.

This pamphlet was digitized on October 16, 1998 by Anthony Pacheco as part of the New Haven Health project.