- Email: [email protected]
SANITARY REPORTS.
786 the women, it would be very desirable to extend the system of voluntary hospitals, but he does not think that theii extension would be of any appreciable value in a sanitary point of view to the general public, and for two reasonsfirstly, they will not, as a rule, come in in the earliest stages of the disease, nor until they are so diseased that they cannot continue their avocation as prostitutes any longer ; and, secondly, they will not stay in until they are cured. It acts
badly at both ends; they will not come in soon enough, and they will not stay in long enough. He believes no extension of the voluntary system will make any material difference in the amount of venereal disease in the population. With regard to the out-patient system, Mr. Lane says: "look upon the extension of the out-patient system for venereal disease to be absolutely prejudicial to the health. It is some advantage to the girls, but it does harm to the public, because it enables girls to carry on their trade for a longer time, with less damage and venience to themselves, than would otherwise be the case." With reference to the fact that women will not enter voluntary hospitals, he cites the example of Winchester, where there was a ward for this disease in the hospital. For years past it has been unoccupied, and no patients have gone in on the voluntary system; and it has been assumed by writers in favour of the voluntary system that this was a very great instance of its success, because there were no patients at Winchester. The Act was put in operation, and 43 per cent. of the women who were examined were found diseased. He admits that if voluntary hospitals are increased, more patients than can be supported will be readily got, but adds that they will not go in soon enough, and will not stay in long enough, and this is fatal to any amelioration of the disease. Dr. Barr says of the first batch of women sent from Aldershot to the Lock Hospital for treatment that they were very dirty-in fact, filthy; they were covered with vermin; some almost like idiots in their manner, and all of them very badly diseased. This first lot were nearly alll The majority were not living in habitacases of syphilis. tions as other people, but they had to be hunted off the commons, out of the drains, from under the hedges, and, inl fact, from all kinds of places which decent people were inL -the habit of shunning. Mr. Howell says that at Portsmouth, previously to thei passing of these statutes, many of these unfortunate creatures were found, in a state of disease, lying about thei ramparts, and sleeping in the portholes of the ramparts ; and so dreadful was their state that, when they came to be’ taken into custody by the police and the relieving officers, in some cases they were obliged to be removed with great care to the hospital; they were there found to be in such a filthy state in consequence of the disease that it rendered cure almost impossible, and many became chronic incurable cases. They were in a most awful state-in fact, a most terrible and disgraceful state. Such cases are not seen now. Mr. Hopgood, the resident surgeon at Portsmouth, states that during his residence there Southampton has been brought under the Acts. The cases from Southampton were of an extremely aggravated form, contrasting very much with the disease as he met with it when he first went to Portsmouth. The disease of the Southampton women, as a rule, was very bad; they came in in a dreadful con-
public
incon-
-
.
,
.
dition.
system. They might be infinitely multiplied, but these sufficient for our purpose. However its advocates may delude themselves into the notion that it will prove effectual, it is, in fact, only a euphemism for leaving these wretched Under the Acts there is a definite women to their fate. duty of providing hospitals, bringing diseased prostitutes to them, and curing them. Without the Acts their cure is everybody’s duty, and therefore nobody’s. Money expended under the Acts gives back money’s worth, as by them prostitutes are, at least for a time, deprived of the power of doing mischief, and effectually treated for their disease. Under the voluntary system the money expended will be simply wasted, and worse than wasted. All that will be effected by it will be, enabling prostitutes to do still more mischief than they can at present, by giving them relief when they would otherwise have to seek the workhouse, and patching them up to continue their trade. Is it reasonable to suppose that sensible people will supply funds for such a purpose ? is it even desirable that they should ?P In spite of all that is said about recognition and sanction, while under the Acts disease is effectually checked, the prostitutes know that they are under disabilitiesregistered prostitutes-a degraded class whose pursuits are marked with disapproval by the law. Under the voluntary system either disease will be left unrelieved as heretofore, or prostitutes will feel themselves favoured pets of society, ! (( soiled doves," a privileged class licensed to plunder in way: drawing an easy subsistence, when pursuing their trade, from the purse of the libertine; and, while unable to do so, supported in hospital by persons benevolent rather than wise. are
every
SANITARY REPORTS. IN the annual report of the sanitary state of St. James’s, Dr. Lankester gives an exceedingly clear account of contagious diseases, and the modes of preventing them. *"If," says he, "the first case of scarlet fever could be discovered in a neighbourhood, it would be so easy to treat it that it would be impossible for the disease to spread. But there is no legal obligation on the part of the head of a family or landlord, or a medical man, to declare the presence of this disease to the sanitary authority. The consequence is, that long before any knowledge of the existence of the disease obtained by the medical officer of health, the disWith regard to other ease has spread far and wide. zymotic diseases the Legislature has put forth feeble efforts to disarm them of their power. Special Acts are put into force to disarm cholera of its deadly grip upon the community; and a half-hearted legislation seeks to do something,in a bewildered way to prevent small-pox ; but nothing is done to prevent scarlet fever. In sixteen years we have lost 479 persons by scarlet fever in St. James’s, Westminster; and in Great Britain, not less than 100,000 persons have been sacrificed to this disease in the same time." The account of disinfectants is clear and concise, and we are glad to hear that they are likely to appear in a popular form. In Westminster, ]B’[1’. Barnard Holt draws attention to the great loss of life from small-pox, 233 persons having died of it, as against 13 the year before. In 1870 scarlatina was fatal to 118 persons, so that there was an excess of 402 deaths from these two preventable diseases. Mr. Holt states that there are two hospitals in Westminster, one for paupers and the other for poor. We should like to know how the distinction was drawn, and whether the latter paid for what they had. If not, they are to all intents "paupers," that is, persons dependent on the State for something of which they have urgent need, or, in other words, are desti-
has been
Mr. Bulteel says the voluntary system was tried for sixteen months at Devonport and at Portsmouth, the result being that 25 per cent. of the women admitted into hospital went out uncured; and a still more important thing to consider is, that a great number of diseased women do not come in at all. Mr. Square does not believe the voluntary system of treating prostitutes for syphilis would do at all, because a woman who practises prostitution to gain a livelihood by it would never go in until she was so diseased that she could not perform the act of sexual intercourse. And that is so for tute of. In Kensington, Dr. Orme Dudfield has issued his first In the first place, they depend mainly on many reasons. Dr. Dudfield is new to the appointment, he has prostitution for their subsistence. If girls go into hospital, report. As confined himself to a review of the statistical a number what call certain of friends-that lose very wisely they they is to say, their customers drop off, and go to other women and sanitary condition of his district. Dr. Dudfield draws while they are in the hospital. Moreover, in a great many special attention to the neglect of vaccination, and states of the cases, women may have syphilis and know nothing that until the recent appointment of an inspector of vaccination, not less than 25 per cent. of the children born in whatever about it. Such are a few of the facts relating to the voluntary the parish were left unvaccinated.
badly at both ends; they will not come in soon enough, and they will not stay in long enough. He believes no extension of the voluntary system will make any material difference in the amount of venereal disease in the population. With regard to the out-patient system, Mr. Lane says: "look upon the extension of the out-patient system for venereal disease to be absolutely prejudicial to the health. It is some advantage to the girls, but it does harm to the public, because it enables girls to carry on their trade for a longer time, with less damage and venience to themselves, than would otherwise be the case." With reference to the fact that women will not enter voluntary hospitals, he cites the example of Winchester, where there was a ward for this disease in the hospital. For years past it has been unoccupied, and no patients have gone in on the voluntary system; and it has been assumed by writers in favour of the voluntary system that this was a very great instance of its success, because there were no patients at Winchester. The Act was put in operation, and 43 per cent. of the women who were examined were found diseased. He admits that if voluntary hospitals are increased, more patients than can be supported will be readily got, but adds that they will not go in soon enough, and will not stay in long enough, and this is fatal to any amelioration of the disease. Dr. Barr says of the first batch of women sent from Aldershot to the Lock Hospital for treatment that they were very dirty-in fact, filthy; they were covered with vermin; some almost like idiots in their manner, and all of them very badly diseased. This first lot were nearly alll The majority were not living in habitacases of syphilis. tions as other people, but they had to be hunted off the commons, out of the drains, from under the hedges, and, inl fact, from all kinds of places which decent people were inL -the habit of shunning. Mr. Howell says that at Portsmouth, previously to thei passing of these statutes, many of these unfortunate creatures were found, in a state of disease, lying about thei ramparts, and sleeping in the portholes of the ramparts ; and so dreadful was their state that, when they came to be’ taken into custody by the police and the relieving officers, in some cases they were obliged to be removed with great care to the hospital; they were there found to be in such a filthy state in consequence of the disease that it rendered cure almost impossible, and many became chronic incurable cases. They were in a most awful state-in fact, a most terrible and disgraceful state. Such cases are not seen now. Mr. Hopgood, the resident surgeon at Portsmouth, states that during his residence there Southampton has been brought under the Acts. The cases from Southampton were of an extremely aggravated form, contrasting very much with the disease as he met with it when he first went to Portsmouth. The disease of the Southampton women, as a rule, was very bad; they came in in a dreadful con-
public
incon-
-
.
,
.
dition.
system. They might be infinitely multiplied, but these sufficient for our purpose. However its advocates may delude themselves into the notion that it will prove effectual, it is, in fact, only a euphemism for leaving these wretched Under the Acts there is a definite women to their fate. duty of providing hospitals, bringing diseased prostitutes to them, and curing them. Without the Acts their cure is everybody’s duty, and therefore nobody’s. Money expended under the Acts gives back money’s worth, as by them prostitutes are, at least for a time, deprived of the power of doing mischief, and effectually treated for their disease. Under the voluntary system the money expended will be simply wasted, and worse than wasted. All that will be effected by it will be, enabling prostitutes to do still more mischief than they can at present, by giving them relief when they would otherwise have to seek the workhouse, and patching them up to continue their trade. Is it reasonable to suppose that sensible people will supply funds for such a purpose ? is it even desirable that they should ?P In spite of all that is said about recognition and sanction, while under the Acts disease is effectually checked, the prostitutes know that they are under disabilitiesregistered prostitutes-a degraded class whose pursuits are marked with disapproval by the law. Under the voluntary system either disease will be left unrelieved as heretofore, or prostitutes will feel themselves favoured pets of society, ! (( soiled doves," a privileged class licensed to plunder in way: drawing an easy subsistence, when pursuing their trade, from the purse of the libertine; and, while unable to do so, supported in hospital by persons benevolent rather than wise. are
every
SANITARY REPORTS. IN the annual report of the sanitary state of St. James’s, Dr. Lankester gives an exceedingly clear account of contagious diseases, and the modes of preventing them. *"If," says he, "the first case of scarlet fever could be discovered in a neighbourhood, it would be so easy to treat it that it would be impossible for the disease to spread. But there is no legal obligation on the part of the head of a family or landlord, or a medical man, to declare the presence of this disease to the sanitary authority. The consequence is, that long before any knowledge of the existence of the disease obtained by the medical officer of health, the disWith regard to other ease has spread far and wide. zymotic diseases the Legislature has put forth feeble efforts to disarm them of their power. Special Acts are put into force to disarm cholera of its deadly grip upon the community; and a half-hearted legislation seeks to do something,in a bewildered way to prevent small-pox ; but nothing is done to prevent scarlet fever. In sixteen years we have lost 479 persons by scarlet fever in St. James’s, Westminster; and in Great Britain, not less than 100,000 persons have been sacrificed to this disease in the same time." The account of disinfectants is clear and concise, and we are glad to hear that they are likely to appear in a popular form. In Westminster, ]B’[1’. Barnard Holt draws attention to the great loss of life from small-pox, 233 persons having died of it, as against 13 the year before. In 1870 scarlatina was fatal to 118 persons, so that there was an excess of 402 deaths from these two preventable diseases. Mr. Holt states that there are two hospitals in Westminster, one for paupers and the other for poor. We should like to know how the distinction was drawn, and whether the latter paid for what they had. If not, they are to all intents "paupers," that is, persons dependent on the State for something of which they have urgent need, or, in other words, are desti-
has been
Mr. Bulteel says the voluntary system was tried for sixteen months at Devonport and at Portsmouth, the result being that 25 per cent. of the women admitted into hospital went out uncured; and a still more important thing to consider is, that a great number of diseased women do not come in at all. Mr. Square does not believe the voluntary system of treating prostitutes for syphilis would do at all, because a woman who practises prostitution to gain a livelihood by it would never go in until she was so diseased that she could not perform the act of sexual intercourse. And that is so for tute of. In Kensington, Dr. Orme Dudfield has issued his first In the first place, they depend mainly on many reasons. Dr. Dudfield is new to the appointment, he has prostitution for their subsistence. If girls go into hospital, report. As confined himself to a review of the statistical a number what call certain of friends-that lose very wisely they they is to say, their customers drop off, and go to other women and sanitary condition of his district. Dr. Dudfield draws while they are in the hospital. Moreover, in a great many special attention to the neglect of vaccination, and states of the cases, women may have syphilis and know nothing that until the recent appointment of an inspector of vaccination, not less than 25 per cent. of the children born in whatever about it. Such are a few of the facts relating to the voluntary the parish were left unvaccinated.