Talk:William George Murray

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Reference to treatment for gonorrhoea while serving with the military removed

The Wikipedia article originally mentioned that Murray had been wounded twice and treated for gonorrhoea during WW1. Regardless of whatever inference the reader might draw from Murray's military service, or his views about it quoted in a letter from around 1915, "great fun and very exciting", his contracting gonorrhoea was quite unremarkable in the context of the Australian forces in the First World War. Ian Howie-Willis in his article titled, 'The Australian Army’s Two ‘Traditional’ Diseases: Gonorrhoea and Syphilis — A Military-Medical History During the Twentieth Century' states that of the 417,000 Australians who served, 63,350 contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

If Murray's contracting gonorrhoea was indicative of an unusual indiscipline in his military service the mention of it in this Wiki article might be relevant. But STD's were commonplace among WWI Australian military forces. Murray was treated for gonorrhoea (V.D.G.) in January 1917, docked 36 days pay but not demoted from his rank of Corporal and subsequently promoted to Sergeant.

If Murray had contracted syphilis during his military service it might be relevant to an understanding of his subsequent behaviour as the later stages of syphilis can include major changes in brain function. However gonorrhoea - even untreated - does not lead to insanity and there is no suggestion in Murray's long life that he was medically insane.

One might conclude that the mention of Murray's diagnosis with gonorrhoea in the original Wiki article was medically irrelevant, and incidentally irrelevant. Ultimately it was no more significant that his treatment for diarrhoea in October 1915. Bodset (talk) 21:42, 28 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I agree, mention of the clap is not important, but how long he was hospitalised/on sick leave is relevant, because it explains his absence from his unit. Peacemaker67 (click to talk to me) 02:40, 29 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]