Prostitution, in relation to public health : forming the introductory chapter to the second edition of the Treatise on syphilis / by William Acton.

  • Acton, William, 1813-1875.
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Prostitution, in relation to public health : forming the introductory chapter to the second edition of the Treatise on syphilis / by William Acton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    ation in which she was born—is it surprising, then, that she settles, and is amalgamated with the poorer classes of society, or becomes a married woman, after first living in a state of concubinage with her husband? The better class of prostitutes become the wives of the me- chanic, the clerk, and the petty tradesman ; and as they are frequently barren, or have only a few children, there is reason to believe they live in a comparative state of affluence, unknown to many virtuous women burdened with families. The lowest class become the frequent inmates of our prisons, living with thieves, and are ultimately transported, or keep the disorderly houses known to the police. If this be truly the end of the prostitute’s career, is it, we ask, of no importance to society, that she be protected as much as possible from diseases to which she may become subject during her course of dissipa- tion, putting out of consideration the chance of infecting others ? If philanthropy will not succour her, do not the considerations of public health require us to watch over her, so that, during her short career, she may preserve her constitution as unshattered as possible, and on re-entering society, she may not bring disease with which she can taint her children ? If, then, as I have attempted to show, society has the greatest in- terest in succouring the infected prostitute instead of shutting her out from the benefits of our medical charities, so have the public authorities the same interest in preventing and curing venereal diseases which are so prevalent in the army, navy, police force, and all classes of the male population of large towns. Experience teaches that every facility for cure should be afforded to men who contract venereal diseases, instead of punishing them when they have become infected. In no case has this been more forcibly shown than in the army, where the surgeons advise and enjoin their men to apply on the appearance of the earliest symp- toms after infection; and the weekly examination of soldiers is made to obviate the ill consequences of syphilis, and it is found to answer admirably. For if an individual in one of our public services contracts syphilis, he is examined by the surgeon of his corps, and is sent to the hospital, where he remains until cured. The worst that can happen in such a case is, that the country defrays the expense of maintaining him for a period, during which he is a “ non-effective5’ individual. This, on board ship, is, however, of the greatest inconvenience, when the com- plement of men is perhaps only sufficient to navigate the vessel. Who suffers in such a case ? Not the individual so much as the service. But suppose we inflict punishment by enjoining confinement, or loss of rations;