A Collection of Chirurgical TractsBeckett, William
Science
A Collection of Chirurgical Tracts
Beckett, William
Surgery
Another ill Consequence of Whoring, is the Tendency it has to dispeople
a Nation; and that both by the Destruction of Illegitimate Infants, and
by ruining young Men’s Constitutions so much, that, when they marry,
they either beget no Children, or such as are sickly and short-liv’d.
The first of these, indeed, is almost unavoidable, especially in modest
Women, who will be guilty of this Cruelty as long as Female Chastity
carries that high Reputation along with it, which it really deserves:
However, in common Women, it may and will be, in a great measure,
prevented by this Scheme; for every profess’d Courtezan, that is
legally licens’d, will have an Apartment allotted her in the Infirmary
when she is ready to lie in, and will be obliged to take Care of her
Child; by which means a considerable Number of Infants will be reared
up, that otherwise might probably have perish’d. Besides, there are
a great many ordinary Girls, such as Servant-Maids, who are chiefly
mov’d to this Action, by the fear of losing their Services, and wanting
Bread. Now this handsome Provision that is made for them, will be a
great Inducement for such to enter themselves in the _Stews_, rather
than commit such an unnatural Action, especially when the Discovery is
Death.
Let us now consider the Affair of Matrimony. Since the World is now
no longer in a State of Nature, but form’d into several Societies
independent of one another, and these Societies again divided into
several Ranks and Degrees of Men, distinguish’d by their Titles and
Possessions, which descend from Father to Son; it is very certain that
Marriage is absolutely necessary, not only for the regular Propagation
of the _Species_, and their careful Education, but likewise for
preserving that Distinction of Rank among Mankind, which otherwise
would be utterly lost and confounded by doubtful Successions. And
it is no less certain and indisputable, that all Sorts and Kinds of
Debauchery whatever are Enemies to this State, in so far as they impair
the natural Vigour of the Constitution, and weaken the very Springs of
Love.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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