CDA Flashcards
Why were the Contagious Disease Acts introduced?
Around 1860, there was a significant concern around venereal disease, especially in army bases. The army did not allow non-commissioned soldiers to be married and homosexuality was illegal, so brothels were permitted near army bases and considered a necessary evil. However, the spread of venereal disease among soldiers was a real worry and there was concern that the efficiency of the army and navy was being damaged. There was demand for laws to address the problem.
Why were non-commissioned soldiers not permitted to be married?
It was believed that married men were usually reluctant to risk their lives in combat and made unreliable soldiers.
Who was Florence Nightingale?
A British nurse who volunteered for the British army during the Crimean War (renowned for the British army suffering more casualties from disease than fighting). She can be credited for increasing sanitation in hospitals.
What and when was the Parliamentary Committee?
In 1862, a committee was established to investigate the problem and to propose a solution.
What were the two main perspectives of the Parliamentary Committee?
The liberal solution was:
- improved hospital care for diseased men and women
- penalties for men who hid evidence of being diseased
- better barrack sanitation
- more lesiure activities to entertain military men, preventing them seeking prostitution
The conservative solution was:
- greater regulation of prostitutes, using the military model from British colonies like Hong Kong and India, where prostitutes near military bases were registered
- compulsory medical examination of prostitutes by British army doctors
Which solution did the committe side with?
Sir John Liddell’s conservative viewpoint
When was the first CDA passed?
1864
What was the CDA 1864?
It allowed police to arrest any woman suspected of being a prostitute in a few selected naval ports and garrison towns. The women would be subjected to compulsorary medical checks. If infected, the women would be confined in a lock hospital for up to 3 months to be treated and to prevent spread.
How many garrison and naval port towns did the act cover?
11 (including the land around them for 5 miles)
When were the second and third CDA passed?
1866 and 1869
What were the CDA of 1866 and 1869?
The act was extended in 1866; this law was the same as ‘64 except that it made periodical medical examination of all prostitutes in the 11 areas compulsory. In 1869, the law was extended to cover 18 districts, and the distance included around each station was increased from 5 miles to 15. Also the time a woman could be held in a lock hospital was increased to 9 months.
Why was it hard for the authorities to identify prostitutes?
They misunderstood the socio-economic issues of urban working class women - although some were prostitutes by profession, for the majority it was simply an occassional or seasonal means of making money when there was insufficient work available or particular finacial harship.
How did the acts affect ordinary people?
Because prostitution was so widespread, the police assigned to stop prostitutes were forced to assume that the women living in poorer areas were prostitutes. Since working class women were illiterate and had no idea of their legal rights, they had little means to stand up to this.
What happened to women under the CDA?
Women identified as prostitutes were put on a list and required to take fortnightly examinations. If they refused they would be out before magistrate and charged, this could result in a fine or imprisonment. If they accepted the examination, those that were ‘clean’ were given a card with their personal registration number on it and the surgeon’s signature - they had to be updated fortnightly. Those found to have a disease were imprisoned in lock hospitals for up to 9 months.
What was a common treatment for vernereal disease?
Mercury
