A vast deal of prostitution goes on in the small smoking shops, the low public-houses, the brandy shops, and the wine houses. These refuges exist all over Paris, they are innumerable, but one finds them collected especially at those points where the workmen and the industrial classes meet together, such as the larger barriers, nearly all the outside boulevards, those of the Hospital and the Temple, the “Rue Fromenteau” and neighbouring places, the streets that touch the large bridges, etc.
So far back as 1818, the commissioners of the police consulted about this evil, and the necessity for suppressing it; for not only did it encourage secret vice and defeat the ends of the authorities, but it was a source of drunkenness and fighting, and indeed of all sorts of disorders.
In December, 1851, a decree was promulgated by Louis Napoleon which has had some effect in reducing the evil, for several drinking shops have been closed since then for offences against the decree.
It may be interesting to know that frequently girls take a dislike to their revolting avocation, and return voluntarily to their parents. From the 1st January, 1821, to the 30th December, 1827, 254 girls whose names were erased from the registers were taken back by their friends, who promised to provide them with the means of subsistence, and gave guarantees for their good conduct. Amongst this number—
| 133 | were | reclaimed by | the mother only. |
| 72 | „ | „ | the father only. |
| 22 | „ | „ | the mother and father together. |
| 22 | „ | „ | their brothers. |
| 9 | „ | „ | their sisters. |
| 5 | „ | „ | an aunt. |
| 2 | „ | „ | an uncle. |
Each of these girls had been inscribed during the following time—
| 120 | from 1 to | 6 months | |
| 37 | more than | 6 months | |
| 16 | „ | 1 year | |
| 55 | „ | 2 years | |
| 9 | „ | 3 years | |
| 6 | „ | 7 years | |
| 8 | „ | 8 years | |
| 3 | „ | 9 years | |
| Total— | 254 | ||
The sanitary regulations in Paris are beneficial to the community at large in the highest degree. Physicians are appointed by the prefecture, who make periodical visits, generally twice a month, for the purpose of ascertaining the state of the health of their numerous clients. If they should discover one infected, she is immediately sent to the hospital.
In the foregoing pages we have endeavoured to give a brief exposé of the dark side of the brilliant volatile city of Paris. Such a subject gives ample scope for volumes, but the nature of this work confines us to dry facts and statistics.