the international office of public health prepared a draft agreementin 1924 for providing merchant seamen with facilities for the treatment ofvenereal diseases. a conference was subsequently convened at brussels， andon december 1， 1924， the draft was approved and signed as a convention.the function of preparing “treatment booklets，” along with other dutiesarising out of the convention， was entrusted to the international officeof public health. however， as a result of the decision of theinternational health conference held in new york in june-july 1946， theduties and functions of the international public health office weretransferred to the world health organization. the duties of who inapplying the provisions of the brussels agreement， as were thosepreviously carried out by ohip， are：
1. the preparation and publication of a list of venereal-diseasetreatment centres operating in various ports throughout the world （threeeditions of this list were issued by ohip in 1933， 1935 （supplement 1936），and 1939 respectively， and a fourth edition was published by who in 1951）；
2. the preparation and distribution to national health administrationsof a treatment booklet （personal booklet） for the seaman's personal use，to be presented at the different centres for the recording of informationon diagnosis and treatment；
3. an evaluation of the degree of success realised in applying theprovisions of the international agreement. （a special commission-commission de l'arrangement de bruxelles——designated by ohip reported on thissubject in 1933 and this question has also be considered by various whoexpert committees and study groups in 1948， 1949， 1951， and 1956.）
the first and second world health assemblies， acting onrecommendations of the expert committee on venereal diseases （laterentitled expert committee on venereal infection and treponematoses），considered the possible revision of the brussels agreement. currentmethods of application of the agreement are at present being studied bywho as a basis for the projected revision. the text of the agreement is asfollows：
text
article 1
the high contracting parties undertake to establish and to maintain ineach of their principal sea or river ports services for the treatment ofvenereal diseases， open to all merchant seaman or watermen， withoutdistinction of nationality.
these services shall have a staff of medical specialists and technicalequipment kept constantly abreast of the progress of science. they shallbe so established and worked as to be readily accessible to those desiringto make use of them. their size shall be proportionate in each port to thevolume of traffic， and they shall dispose of a sufficient number ofhospital beds.
article 2
medical treatment and the supply of medical necessaries shall be freeof charge. the same shall apply to hospital treatment when it isconsidered necessary by the doctor of the service.
1. the preparation and publication of a list of venereal-diseasetreatment centres operating in various ports throughout the world （threeeditions of this list were issued by ohip in 1933， 1935 （supplement 1936），and 1939 respectively， and a fourth edition was published by who in 1951）；
2. the preparation and distribution to national health administrationsof a treatment booklet （personal booklet） for the seaman's personal use，to be presented at the different centres for the recording of informationon diagnosis and treatment；
3. an evaluation of the degree of success realised in applying theprovisions of the international agreement. （a special commission-commission de l'arrangement de bruxelles——designated by ohip reported on thissubject in 1933 and this question has also be considered by various whoexpert committees and study groups in 1948， 1949， 1951， and 1956.）
the first and second world health assemblies， acting onrecommendations of the expert committee on venereal diseases （laterentitled expert committee on venereal infection and treponematoses），considered the possible revision of the brussels agreement. currentmethods of application of the agreement are at present being studied bywho as a basis for the projected revision. the text of the agreement is asfollows：
text
article 1
the high contracting parties undertake to establish and to maintain ineach of their principal sea or river ports services for the treatment ofvenereal diseases， open to all merchant seaman or watermen， withoutdistinction of nationality.
these services shall have a staff of medical specialists and technicalequipment kept constantly abreast of the progress of science. they shallbe so established and worked as to be readily accessible to those desiringto make use of them. their size shall be proportionate in each port to thevolume of traffic， and they shall dispose of a sufficient number ofhospital beds.
article 2
medical treatment and the supply of medical necessaries shall be freeof charge. the same shall apply to hospital treatment when it isconsidered necessary by the doctor of the service.