The History of Prostitution

ng Licenses.-Recruits.-Pimps.-Profits of Prostitution.-Inscription.-Interrogatories.-Nativity, how ascertained.-Obstacles.-Principles of Inscription.-Age at which Inscription is made.-Radiation.-Pro

Duchatelet's Bill for the

Paris at the present day. The vast importance of the subject

ding to them, the average number of prostitutes inscribed had risen, from about 1900 in 1814, to 3558 in 1832, the last year of which we have any record. Assuming that the number at present is 4500, or thereabouts, which would suppose an increase equal to that noted before 1832, the prostitutes are

s are the children of operatives and

ver

dle

and T

-carr

Carriage

make

and Gard

van

ployed in Foun

abore

ente

r-sel

ths

nd Fruit-

, on pen

ers and J

nd Hair-d

hout trade

lor

s, Pavers

per

laziers, an

there

hysicians,

che

ici

ses of domestics and factory-girls; and that girls not bred to work rarely find their way into the

fourth were illegitimate; of those born in t

argues very remarkable neglect on the part of parents, for at Paris every one may learn to write gr

over fifty; two were over sixty. On reference to the rolls of inscription, it appeared that the bulk of the prostitutes registered themselves between the ages of eight

uring which the Paris prostitutes had exercised

Numb

titu

and u

to 2 ye

to 3

to 4

to 5

to 6

to 7

to 8

to 9

o 10

to 11

to 12

to 13

to 14

to 15

to 16

to 17

to 18

to 19

to

to

to

to

ficulty of obtaining trustworthy information on this head being very great, many errors may h

t 1

ome, or desertio

ort old and in

s and sisters, or n

families t

ountry, to suppo

s by soldiers, clerk

d by masters an

andoned by th

al

must not be within one hundred yards of a church, or within fifty or sixty yards of a school, whether for boys or girls; of a palace or other public building, or of a large boarding-house. The proprietor of the house must have given his consent before the house

bed. Each room must, moreover, be amply provided with utensils, soap, and water, for ablution. No house of prostitution can have back or side doors, or in any way commun

lls, shall live permanently. The object of this rule is to obtain a control and supervision over these houses. Before it was adopted the police was often embarrassed by denials of its auth

They can only be partially opened. These regulations were made in consequence of the shocking scenes that were witness

ands in the police books as a woman requiring supervision, she can not succeed. Nor can she obtain a license, under ordinary circumstances, unless she has been a prostitute herself. The reason of this regulation is obvious; no one but a prostitute understands the business thoroughly; and as the position of brothel-keeper is found to be the most demoralizing station in the world, it has been the policy of the Paris police to throw impediment

she receives, whether as a boarder or a transient lodger; her age, the date of her entry into her house, the date of her inspection by a physician, and the date of her departure from the house. A printed for

houses of prostitution, the license is revoked. It is under

eke out a livelihood by enticing others into the same calling. They soon discover the antecedents and disposition of every young girl they find in hospitals; and if she be pretty or engaging, she must either have much principle or careful friends to rescue her from the clutches of the old hags. While she lies ill on a bed of pain, the latter are constantly with her, and gain her friendship. They know the devices that are needed to impose on her simplicity,

tances they made at the workshop. Latterly, it would seem, pimps have carried on their trade with unusual boldness and success. Some time since it was noticed that an uncommon number of girls arrived at Paris from Rheims. They all came provided with the name and address of the houses to which they were destined, and drove there from the stage-off

n London and Paris, London and Brussels, and other large cities in the neighborhood. Several societies have b

. The whole of the fees exacted from visitors goes to the mistress, and the girls are reluctantly permitted to retain the presents they sometimes receive from their lovers. They are usually in debt to the mistress, who, having no other means of retaining them under her control, hastens to advan

l ought to be ten francs or more per day. Many keepers of houses have retired with from ten to twenty-five thousand francs a year, and

es M?urs. It seems that some sort of inscription was in use before the Revolution, but no law referring to it, or records of the rolls, can be found.

s are insc

eir own

tion of the mistr

of the inspecto

these circumstances, she is asked the following q

birth-place, tra

is a widow, wif

mother are living, and wha

th them, and if not, wh

s had children, a

she has be

one has a rig

arrested, and if yes, how o

en a prostitute before, an

has, or has had,

e has received

tive is in insc

icials. Their practice is so great that they are rarely deceived by the women; M. Parent-

cian on duty reports the result, which is added to the inquiry. Meanwhile, the police registers have be

e mayor of the city or commune where she was born for the certificate. This application varies according to the age of the girl. If she is of age it is simply a demand for the "extrait de naissance of -- --, who says she is a native of your city or commune." If, on the contrary, she is a m

then the girl is duly inscribed on the register. She signs a document, in which she states that, "being duly acquainted with the sanitary regulations established by the Prefecture for Publi

at the time fixed in their city or commune. In that case the girl was recalled, and made to understand that truth was better policy than falsehood. Girls rarely held out longer than a f

ird or fourth offense has been committed that she is inscribed. When the mistress of a house brings a girl to the office, interrogatories similar to the above are put to her. If she has relations or friends at Paris, they are sent for and consulted. When the girl appears evidently lost, she is duly inscribed; but if she shows any signs of shame or c

ibe no girl with regard to whom it is not manifest that she will ca

m the records of a series of years, it appears that the mistre

ed at their o

tresses of

inspect

al

ars; but now the general rule is that no girl should be inscribed under the age of sixteen. Exceptions to this rule are made in the case of younger girls-of thirteen, fo

takes leave of her calling, throws off the control of the police, and regains her civil rights. At Rome, as has been shown already, no such formality as rad

encouraged as much as possible; 2d. But no prostitute should be released from the supervision of the police and the visits of the Dispensary

on which she is henceforth to rely. In three cases the demand is granted forthwith: 1st. When the girl proves that she is about to marry; 2d. When she produces the certificate of a physician that she is att

m three months to a year, the girl is still under the supervision of the police, such supervision being obviously secret and discre

d without delay or inquiry, it being wisely supposed that she has repented of her decision. A re-inscript

ity of the office when she has disappeared, and

which, taken in connection with the table already given of the

n struck of

rost

t

st. In co

ence.

485 5

477 5

469 5

415 7

433 7

417 7

502 6

442 6

456 5

486 5

490 5

572 4

298 5

334 5

284 4

449 7

9369

stitutes are divide

in a licensed or "

live alone in

which they furnish, and outw

ervision. Every girl that is inscribed receives a card bearing her name, and the number of her page in the register; a bl

tes visit them at the Dispensary. Yet another visit is made by the Dispensary physicians to the Dép?t, or Lock-up, at the Prefecture of Police; as there are always a certain number o

t by the physician, and a corresponding memorandum is made in the pass-book of the house and on the card of the prostitute. When disease is detected, the mistress of the house is notified, and cautioned not to allow the girl diseased to rec

s, are bound to visit the Dispensary, and submit to examination once a fortnight. They choos

nforced. Free prostitutes are visited nearly thirty times a year, and prostitutes in toler

spirit of modern legislation has rejected both these punishments as unduly cruel. At the present day, offenses against the rules concerning prostitution (delits de prostitution) are

e Bureau des M?urs into two classes, slight of

r in forbid

ar at forb

down in doorways, streets

admittance to

daylight in such a way as to att

the windows o

selves from the m

To

urs in their house, after having been

rom the Hospita

f doors with ba

having been ordered to leave,

nment for not less than a fortnight or more t

to be guilty of gra

ageously the vi

visit the

tute herself after bei

cene langua

naked at

lence, and endeavors to

s, and not more than a year, rarely more than six months. The time is fix

pecially appropriated to her class. She is tried within forty-eight, usually within twenty-four

heir work; the bulk naturally take to sewing. They are paid a small sum for what they do, partly as they proceed with the work, and the balance when they leave the prison. Industrious girls receive, from the money coming to them, from five to eight sous daily. That this, added to the ample food supplied by the prison, suffices for their wants, is proved

has no terrors for prostitutes. It is quite common to find girls who have been thirty

not think they do any good, and inclines to the belief that the counsels and visits of married women,

e productive of great evils. The scenes in the visitors' room were outrageous, and a new system was accordingly adopted. No one was allowed

ginal fistula, cancer, incurable organic disease, idiocy, etc., are incapacitated from pursuing their calling, and run risk of starvation. Not more than e

ng the Dispensary. The product of these various taxes amounted to from seventy-five to ninety thousand francs per annum. The system was abolished on the ground of its immorality. A popular notion is said to have prevailed that the police received half a million or more from the tax on prostit

g prostitutes were carried out. They arrested offending women, and transferred them to the Prefecture of Police. In case of resistance, they summoned the aid of the ordinary police of the ward. They were n

n be received under eighteen or over twenty-five years of age. Beyond these limits it has been found that the humane efforts of the directresses of the establishment have rarely led to any result. No compulsion is used in any case by the managers. Girls are free to leave as they are free to come. So long as they remain, however, they must conform to the rules of the establishment, which are strict without being monastic. The average admissions to the asylum for the first twelve years o

at Paris, it is not at all doubtful but the establishment is a useful one. No one can help but concur

ly philosophical work on prostitution extant, it may be useful to subjoin the

THE REPRESSION

the public highway or otherwise, is intrusted at Paris to the Prefect of

s engaged in public prostitution is vested in the

1st, direct provocation thereto on the public highway; 2d, public

ions which they may deem suitable for the repression of prostitution, and such regulations shall bear upon a

town is placed on the same footing as the public health establishments

of these dispensaries shall be forwarded

gave them credit for sufficient self-abnegation to adopt, without question, the elaborate and sensible plan which experience has taught the authorities of Paris. How far this assumption was justifiable appears uncertain, in view of the f