Contagious diseases acts Flashcards
1862 committee
Appointed to investigate how venereal disease could be prevented.
The committee recommended lock hospitals established for voluntary treatment and that soldiers should only be punished if they choose to conceal an STD. Gov rejected this.
John Lindell argued he state should regulate prostitutes by frequent medical checks. Nightingale disagreed.
Why were the CDA’s introduced between 1862 and 1869?
- erosion of Laissez-Faire.
- British empire needed a strong army
- prejudices and prevalent attitudes
- lack of medical knowledge
- Crimean war
- widespread venereal disease
- colonial precedents
- public opinion.
Attitudes within Victorian society
Around 30,000 prostitutes in England but other believed there were around 500,000. The data of venereal diseases such as that 20% of child admissions to the Ryal free Hospital had syphilis.
Was a social dilemma. Regarded by many as a social necessity.
The division between men and women was seen as a natural state. These notions were embodied in law.
While morally regrettable, the consensus that male and female sexuality were fundamentally different made prostitution a necessary social evil.
Army and Navy (Crimean war 1854)
In 1860, 37% of army hospital admissions were venereal diseases causing much of the army to be inactive.
Until 1859, soldiers had frequent medical checks for venereal disease. These were abandoned as they were said to undermine the morale of men.
1857 in London there was one prostitute for every 25 men, most of these men were married = the spread of STD’s.
Prostitution was seen as vital to sustain soldiers needs as there weren’t allowed to marry.
Believed there was less venereal disease in colonised countries.
1864 CDA
Passed in a nearly empty house of commons without debate. Gave police the power in port and garrison towns to arrest suspected prostitutes for medical examinations. If a woman was found to have a disease, she could be detained in a lock hospital until cured.
1866 CDA
Examinations were to be completed every three moths - closer to state regulated prostitution. Remit extended to 10 miles from port and garrison towns. Recognition that prostitutes were moving and that the first act had limited impact. In Maidstone 91% of women were registered as prostitutes by 1866 but by 1870 50% had left the district.
1869 CDA
Brings attention to the CDA’s publicly for the first time. Talk of implementing the acts worldwide. First time the acts receive middle class attention. Now 18 protected districts. More controlling. Prostitutes could be help in lock hospitals for up to a year.
Medical profession
William Acton’s book ‘prostitutes’ 1857 heavily influenced public opinion.
Unable to actually cure STD’s, could help to sooth symptoms, but used toxic substance mercury which was highly dangerous.
One doctor in Plymouth claimed he did 70 examinations in one day.
1867 Harveian society of London stated state intervention was needed to reduce levels of venereal disease.
Speculum used for internal examination = brutal ‘industrial rape’.
Superficially, the acts appeared to diminish the incidence of disease but this was probably for other reasons.
Role of Government
The first act was passed in a virtually empty house of commons full of tired MPs with little discussion. Their ignoring of the 1862 commission would suggest that they were in favour of the regulation of prostitutions. Erosion of Lassiez faire meant that government intervention was becoming increasingly common.
Impacts on prostitutes
Restructured the prostitution profession. In 1871 a royal commission to examine the effects of the act found that it had improved conditions for prostitutes in protected area. Did mean that they were able to get free medical care and some said their certificate meant they could charge higher prices. Treatment of scabies was a great relief.
In protected areas 37/1000 soliders were hospitalised with syphillis compared to 194/1000 in unprotected area. 1871 commission only interviewed certain types of witnesses - not the prostitutes themselves. Made it harder for women to access reform institutions. e.g. the society for the rescue of women and children refused to care for women from gov hospitals as they opposed the acts. Worries that it damaged the social relations between prostitutes and their communitites.
Impacts on ordinary women
Ordinary women were falsely accused i.e. Catherine Pickles, 16, arrested and forcibly examined. Rough treatment. Applied to women only.
Some were enthusiastic for the act in terms of sanitation and medical grounds.
Elizabeth Wolstenholme
Was a memeber of the Social science association. At a meeting in 1869, proposals to extend the CDA’s were discussed leading to the formation of the Nation anti-contagious diseases act group. No women were intitially a part of this but they later joined. Wolstenholme founded the LNA in 1869 and appointed Butler.
Josephine Butler
Travelled 3700 miles to 99 meetings. Seen as a perfect moral leader. However, admitted to having little knowledge about prostitution and her lack of compromise meant that reforms to help the conditions for prostitutes weren’t passed i.e. she blocked a compromise suggesting that existing regulation might be replaced by a system of voluntary examinations in private clinics. She claimed it places blame on prostitutes still.
Ladies association for the repeal of the CDA’s.
- 1st January 1870 one of their first actions was to publish a protest in the ‘daily news’ against the acts. Signed by 124 women, became known as the Ladies protest.
Of the 33 leaders, 12 were single, 6 widowed and over 20 were childless.
- Women speaking out for the first time publicly. Radicalised women and provided a basis for future movements.
Tactics used by the LNA
Interferring in elections: 1870 candidacy of Henry Storks for Newark. He had enforced the CDAs rigorously across Malta (he was governor). Repeal campaigners ruthlessly targeted him for his behaviour in Malta. So much pressure placed that he removed his candidacy on the day of the election. A new liberal candidate was voted in who opposed the acts. Showed extent of support for LNA. Short-lived triumph - relied of lib candidates to exert influence over conservatives. Storks stood again in 1870 for Colchester
Drawing attention to women who were mistaken for prostitutes: Mrs Percy Aldershot 1875 drowned herself whilst police investigated her behaviour.
Co-operation with prostitutes: Noticeable failure = inability to mobilise working-class women against the acts. ‘siege of Devonport’ campaigners worked w/ prostitutes in resisting medical examinations - expensive campaign to fund trials.
