Venereal Disease Act 1917 (repealed 19.11.1998) (1917 c. 21)

1 Prevention of the treatment of venereal disease otherwise than by duly qualified persons.

(1) In any area in which this section is in operation a person shall not, unless he is a duly qualified medical practitioner, for reward either direct or indirect, treat any person for venereal disease or prescribe any remedy therefor, or give any advice in connection with the treatment thereof, whether the advice is given to the person to be treated or to any other person.

(2) This section shall operate in any area to which it is applied by order of the Local Government Board, or, in Scotland and Ireland, the Local Government Board for Scotland and Ireland respectively:

2 Restriction on advertisements, &c.

(1) A person shall not by any advertisement or any public notice or announcement treat or offer to treat any person for venereal disease, or prescribe or offer to prescribe any remedy therefor, or offer to give or give any advice in connection with the treatment thereof.

(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F3] Words repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1927 (c. 42) and Medicines Act 1968 (c. 67), Sch. 6

[F4] Words substituted by Medicines Act 1968 (c. 67), Sch. 5 para. 1

3 Penalties.

If any person acts in contravention of any of the provisions of this Act, he shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for a term not exceeding two years, or on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds, or to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for a term not exceeding six months.

4 Definition.

In this Act the expression “venereal disease” means syphilis, gonorrhea, or soft chancre.

5 Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Venereal Disease Act 1917.