Magdalenism : an inquiry into the extent, causes, and consequences of prostitution in Edinburgh / by William Tait.

  • Tait, William.
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Magdalenism : an inquiry into the extent, causes, and consequences of prostitution in Edinburgh / by William Tait. 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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    most ignorant)and(superstitious)part of the(commuliity of prosti- tuteSj)is(coniposed;of^ir]^(fi-bn^i^^^ diflperent^ manufac- turing townsjthropgliout 'Scotland. Compare the above statement with the following, given in reference to the education of prostitutes in London, and the supe- riority of the former over the latter will appear very remarkable :— The education of prostitutes,''^says Dr Ryan,( is very bad and defective.) According to ihe(Metropotttan Police Report of Cri- ?ninals^h-om Januar^SST^io January'1838i o 1773 could neither read norjratei?^237 could read only) or read or write but very badly-^eighty-nine could read and write well-r- and, four had received a superior educat^n. There can be no doubt but that the ^lucat^on of the (^Edinburgh prostitute^ is ^superio^to that of the prostitutes in Londoij); but it can scarcely be credited that the difference is so great as here represented. Were those prostitutes who are brought before the police court of any city the only criterion by which a person was enabled to judge of the extent of their education, very erroneous conclusions would be arrived at. For example, the number committed for one year, is taken without any statement being given as to the number of times the same individual is committed. And, again, itjOj^pears to be forgotten that it is generally the ljowest,ynost de- praved,\;^ most degraded,\ and most ignorant prostitutes that are found guilty of riot al^d crime, and conse^ently most frequently committed by the police.\ (Only three prostitute^i have been discovered in Edinburgh to have (belonged to thci liigher ranks) of^'society,; two of whom be- longecT to one family, and the two fathers were officers in the same regiment; but now both reduced in circumstances, which in some measure accounts for the downfall and degradation of their dausfh- ters. About (ten or twelve'have belonged to the^iniddle ranks of society, the greater part of whom were ,the victim's of misplaced affection, or had contracted the habit of drinking previous to re- sorting to this unhappy life.. A very considerable number;, of the/ girls who go to the streets, have been(Ei-ained as sewers)and|Jon- iiet-makers.y More than (two-thirds) of the (sly girlsij bclong_to gJiese_andjpther sedentary occupations); and a part has been pre-