Blood And Marriage - The Globe And Mail

This week at Collected Wisdom, we've got that 1964 hit by The Dixie Cups running around in what passes for our brain. All together now: "We're going to the chapel, but we've got to get a blood test." Hmm. Not quite sure about those lyrics.

THE QUESTION : What was the reason for the blood tests for couples who wished to tie the knot? asked Betty Palen of Winnipeg. Also, is there anywhere in Canada that still requires this test?

THE ANSWER : Starting around the time of the Second World War, it became mandatory for couples to take blood tests before applying for a marriage licence in many U.S. states and some Canadian provinces, writes Jen Buck , a family nurse practitioner working in the sexual-health field in the Northwest Territories.

She says this was mainly to test for syphilis, when the use of penicillin to cure this infection became widespread. If one party tested positive for syphilis, he or she would simply be treated with two large injections of penicillin.

The tests also screened for various genetic diseases, and if one or both parties tested positive for a genetic condition, the couple would be given counselling on their chances of conceiving a child similarly affected.

"Now, very few states still require a blood test," she writes. "This testing has been phased out because syphilis was considered virtually eradicated." It was also thought to be a burden on taxpayers because the screening targeted people in generally monogamous relationships, a low-risk group. "Unfortunately," she says, "syphilis continues to be a public-health issue today, with recent outbreaks in Alberta, Yukon and the Northwest Territories."

Today, Canada has no blood-testing requirements, but "some parties continue to lobby for mandatory, common-sense testing prior to obtaining a marriage licence."

THE QUESTION : "In Western societies, people clap their hands to express approval or appreciation (after a musical performance, for example)," wrote Rob Lachance of Toronto. "Are there cultures where the same emotion is expressed in a different manner?"

THE ANSWER : "The ancient Romans used to snap their fingers and thumbs and wave the flaps of their togas," writes Tom Priestly of Edmonton. He says that in many Middle Eastern and North African cultures, women ululate, while in European academia, "audiences either pound their desks or, if the desks have flaps that raise, open and close these flaps deafeningly."

HELP WANTED

Stephan F. Kaliski of Kingston wonders why there are lots of seedless oranges in the supermarket but no seedless lemons.

Barry Ries of Waterloo, Ont., has noticed that some Canadian Forces personnel in Afghanistan are identified as "trooper." He says: "I'm familiar with privates and corporals and sergeants and so on, but what precisely is a 'trooper'?"

When J. C. Valin of Toronto puts ice cubes in a glass and pours liquid over them, they invariably fuse into one large lump. Why?

Paul Christie of Toronto wonders what the horse population of Canada is today compared with the time when horses were used extensively in transportation, industry and farming.

Send your questions and answers to [email protected]. Include your name, location and a daytime phone number.