Objections Made in the Ladies' Protest.

It is professedly of two parts, descriptive and argumentative—the first part affects to describe the state of things introduced by the Acts, the second part to give eight reasons against that state of things. Unfortunately the description is wholly drawn from imagination and sentiment, and is as argumentative as the second part; it is not therefore surprising that the eight reasons are mostly fallacious, and none of them weighty, and I must frankly say that the impression left on my mind after perusing their Appeal, was that the Ladies had composed and signed it without having read the Act of which they complain, and that they were proceeding to pass judgment in a controversy, as to the terms of which, they were in a state of the most positive ignorance. For an obvious reason, I shall not attempt to argue with these ladies. I will merely observe that any objection contained in their protest that requires an answer, has already received one in the refutation given to other objections.

Apart from their pardonable want of logic, I must, however, thank the 130 ladies who signed this protest, for having come forward in defence of their sex. Now that they have taken up the cause of their fallen sisterhood, no doubt can exist that the future of the woman page 35 called "Unfortunate," will command that attention which hitherto has been denied to her.

I beg to assure these ladies that the medical profession has ever treated these unfortunate women with the most signal and marked tenderness and sympathy. I have during the last thirty years seen some thousands of women examined by different medical men, and I venture to say that their womanly feelings were respected, and as much deference paid to decency as is shown in private practice.

If I may venture to direct the Ladies' Association to a very necessary reform, I would suggest that the Association carry out those excellent suggestions made by Miss Muloch in her chapter on "Fallen Women." The Ladies could, indeed, aid the cause if they would urge the mistresses of households not to turn out into the streets at a moment's notice, and this in spite of their husbands' remonstrances, a good and faithful female servant, but who had been seduced by one of those handsome fellows ladies retain in their service. I shall doubtless be told that it would be inconsistent with a woman's matronly duties to suffer such a hussey to remain in her establishment. I do not ask her to do this, but I have proposed an alternative;^* and as a medical man, I often blush for the inconsistency of the sex, when I find that the identical Fanny A., who has been dismissed from the service of Mrs. B., is taken into the service of Lady C. as wet nurse, her ladyship knowing that the single woman has been just confined of an illegitimate child. Surely these are reforms well adapted to be carried out by a Ladies' Association; and I think I may venture to say, if the Ladies will leave the care of the health of these women to the medical profession, and will call upon the public, and Members of Parliament to agitate for a change in the laws relating to seduction, a more healthy state of public opinion will arise, and they will be instrumental in conferring on their sex an inestimable benefit.

If surgeons are left to deal with questions, and to remove evils, the cognizance of which comes peculiarly within their province—if the ladies, and the clergy, and all who have at heart the well-being of the race, will page 36 deal with those evils which they can severally remedy—and if all will unite in the common cause, not magnifying their own peculiar province, nor depreciating that of others, but gaining and giving mutually all the help and strength they can, we may hope to see, not the extirpation of prostitution, for this can only come to pass when poor humanity ceases to be frail and sinful—but a considerable diminution of the number of prostitutes, and a great amelioration of their condition.