Contagious Diseases Acts : speech by Mr. Littleton of Devonport (one of the subjected districts), at the meeting in Edinburgh in favour of their total repeal, on 1st February 1875 / [Mr. Littleton].

  • Littleton, Mr.
Date:
[between 1870 and 1879?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Contagious Diseases Acts : speech by Mr. Littleton of Devonport (one of the subjected districts), at the meeting in Edinburgh in favour of their total repeal, on 1st February 1875 / [Mr. Littleton]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    number of cases in the year, from 1st October 1868 to 30th Sep- tember 1869, amounted to 1536, in whicb year the hospital re- ceived out of the taxation of the country so large a sum that it made a profit of £2000 by the transaction. Now compare the number of times patients were in the hospital during the before-named two years. In the year from 1st October 1865 to 30th September 1866, there were two hundred and six women admitted to the hospital for the first time, sixty-eight for the second, twenty- five for the third, twelve for the fourth, and three for the fifth- total, three hundred and fifteen. In the year from 1st October 1868 to 30th September 1869, there were two hundred and fifty- three admitted for the first time, three hundred and twenty-one for the second, three himdred and four for the third, two hundred and seventy-seven for the fourth, one hundred and seventy-two for the fifth, ninety-three for the sixth, fifty-eight for the seventh, twenty-eight for the eighth, eleven for the ninth, eight for the tenth, three for the eleventh, three for the twelfth, three for the' thirteenth, and two for the fourteenth—fifteen hundred and thirty-six. Now, gentlemen who have been accustomed to look at this matter from a medical point of view, does it not entirely disprove the ground you take ? This fact, as it refers to the women, added to the important facts put before you as it refers to the men, di-ives us to the conclusion that the Acts are an utter lailure, even from a medical point of view. But not to occupy your time too much, I shaU read you an extract from the Eeport of the hospital for the year 1872. Having exposed the faUacies of the medical men and other supporters of the system from this table I have read, a similar table was published the following year but attention having been caUed to these facts, that table has been omitted fi'om every subsequent Eeport of the Eoyal Albert Hos- pital. As the hospital authorities are obhged to make a return to tlie (Government, m order to receive the pay—they now insert tlie number of cases in a difi-erent form. At page 15 of the Eeport for the year 1872-73 it proves this, that whereas the average number of daily residents—this is the best test that could be given as to the state of the morality of the women, and also of tne men that associate with them—the average number of daUv residents m the lock wards for the year 1871-72 was 52-82 women and for the year 1872-73 the average number daily residents was 5b-77, shewing an increase of nearly four per cent, over the previous year Shewing this fact, that whilst some have asserted Wif.? ^ r ^T^ decreased, and the number in the hospital has decreased, the number of cases has actuaUy been ^eater And when I turn to the Eeport that has just hlZ issued for the last year, I find there is an increase of one per cent ^no^+LTS;'^^^-^^'^^ residents in the Lock wards for the yeir, shew- that there is a gradual increase of this disease. I think thele ^IXT ^T^-!/'^* operation ^f I^iM in Tiv^^^' r it P^**'^^ l^ospital-the Eoyal Albert ^ ^?,.l^evonport_they are an utter failure in every point 'f View. If you come to the constitutional part of the q/es^tSn