A Collection of Chirurgical TractsBeckett, William
Science
A Collection of Chirurgical Tracts
Beckett, William
Surgery
For the _Society_’s Security in Point of Health, it must be order’d,
That if any Gentleman complains of receiving an Injury, and the Woman,
upon Search, be found tainted, without having discover’d it to the
Mistress, she shall be stripp’d and cashier’d. But if a Woman discovers
her Misfortune before any Complaint is made against her, she shall
be sent to the _Infirmary_, and cured at the Publick Charge. No Woman
that has been twice pox’d shall ever be re-admitted. _Note_, That three
Claps shall be reckon’d equivalent to one Pox.
But as no _Society_ ever fram’d a compleat Body of Laws at once, till
overseen Accidents had taught them Foresight, we shall refer the
farther Regulation of these Laws, with whatever new ones shall be
thought necessary, to the _Wisdom_ of the _Legislature_,
The _Publick Stews_ being thus erected and govern’d by good and
wholesome Laws, there remains nothing to compleat this Project, but
that proper Measures be taken effectually to discourage all other Kinds
of Whoring whatsoever. And here it is to be hoped, that those worthy
_Gentlemen_ of the _Society_, who have hitherto distinguish’d their
_Zeal_ to so little Purpose, will now exert themselves where they have
so good a Prospect of Success; for altho’ a poor Itinerant Courtezan
could not by any Means be persuaded to starve at the Instigation of
a _Reforming_ Constable, yet a little _Bridewell_ Rhetorick, or the
Terrors of a Transportation, will soon convince her that she may
live more comfortably and honestly in a _Publick Stew_. If there are
any so foolish as to love Rambling better, or who are not qualify’d
to please Gentlemen according to Law, they ought to be transported;
for _Bridewell_, as it is now manag’d, only makes them poorer,
and consequently lays them under a greater Necessity than ever of
continuing Prostitutes.
Let us now suppose, for Brevity sake, that the _Publick Stews_ are
as much as possible favour’d and encourag’d, and that all the other
Branches of this Vice have the utmost Rigour of the Laws exerted
against them.
It now remains for me to show what Benefit the _Nation_ would receive
thereby, and how this Project would prevent or in any Degree alleviate
those Mischiefs which I have mention’d to be the necessary Consequences
of this Vice. As for any Objections that may be rais’d against me,
either _Christian_ or _Moral_, I shall refer them to the Close of this
Discourse.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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