The Contagious Disease Act at Devonport : its physical and moral results after six years working : a paper read at the Bristol Social Science Congress / by William Paul Swain.

  • Swain, William Paul, 1834-1916.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Contagious Disease Act at Devonport : its physical and moral results after six years working : a paper read at the Bristol Social Science Congress / by William Paul Swain. 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.

    10/18 (page 12)
    Upon the very important subject of Police information. 1 would reiterate what we have already stated in a letter to the Lords of the Admiralty :— “ The system of obtaining information against women from men in the Naval and Military Hospitals who have contracted disease in the port, still obtains to a great extent. While we think that this may be a very good way of obtaining evidence as to who are prostitutes, and of thus adding new names to the register from time to time, we nevertheless strongly deprecate it -when used as a pretext for hurrying a girl up for immediate examination, and fastening suspicion upon her. We believe such informations to be both valueless and mischievous. They are valueless, because our soldiers and sailors are not particular in confining their attentions to one woman, and therefore are often unable to tell with truth by what woman they have been infected. They are further proved to be valueless from the fact that many women so accused are found by the Visiting Surgeon free from Contagious disease. These informations are mischievous because they give men the opportunity of paying off a grudge against a woman; they open the way to partiality and favouritism on the part of the Police, and their natural tendency, if much relied upon as a means of bringing women up for examination, is undoubtedly towards bribery and corruption. They are further quite an unnecessary waste of time; for, provided the Police bring up every woman for examination once a fortnight, we believe nothing more is required. We con- tend that the exertions of the Police would Ire far better directed to obtaining a more regular attendance of women, and increasing the numbers on the register.” Both at Plymouth and Portsmouth, the Staff of Police employed is furnished from the Metropolitan force, and numbers only live men. This number is quite inadequate and explains to a great ex- tent the reason why the periodical examination of the women is at present so defective. T e question of Police will be, no doubt one of the great difficu1: ies we shall have to contend with in any extension of the Act to the Civil population. To obtain a staff of men who shall be above the wily seductions of the class with whom they have to deal, is indeed difficult. I think the opinion which has been expressed, that the Borough Police