Nearly half the prostitutes were between the ages of twenty and twenty-six inclusive. One declared herself, or was proved to be, only twelve years old; thirty-four were over fifty; two were over sixty. On reference to the rolls of inscription, it appeared that the bulk of the prostitutes registered themselves between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two; but thirty-four were inscribed before the age of fourteen, which may be assumed to be the period of puberty in France, and a few after passing fifty.
The following table shows the number of years during which the Paris prostitutes had exercised their calling at the time the inquiry was made:
| Time. | Number of Prostitutes. | |||||
| 1 year and under | 439 | |||||
| From | 1 | to | 2 | years | 590 | |
| " | 2 | to | 3 | " | 440 | |
| " | 3 | to | 4 | " | 485 | |
| " | 4 | to | 5 | " | 294 | |
| " | 5 | to | 6 | " | 139 | |
| " | 6 | to | 7 | " | 150 | |
| " | 7 | to | 8 | " | 143 | |
| " | 8 | to | 9 | " | 96 | |
| " | 9 | to | 10 | " | 100 | |
| " | 10 | to | 11 | " | 109 | |
| " | 11 | to | 12 | " | 93 | |
| " | 12 | to | 13 | " | 99 | |
| " | 13 | to | 14 | " | 98 | |
| " | 14 | to | 15 | " | 107 | |
| " | 15 | to | 16 | " | 80 | |
| " | 16 | to | 17 | " | 19 | |
| " | 17 | to | 18 | " | 14 | |
| " | 18 | to | 19 | " | 17 | |
| " | 19 | to | 20 | " | 4 | |
| " | 20 | to | 21 | " | — | |
| " | 21 | to | 22 | " | 1 | |
| " | 22 | to | 23 | " | — | |
M. Duchatelet made careful inquiries into the causes of prostitution. He admits that, the difficulty of obtaining trustworthy information on this head being very great, many errors may have found their way into his calculations. He gives them, however, for what they may be worth.
| Want | 1441 | |
| Expulsion from home, or desertion of parents | 1255 | |
| Desire to support old and infirm parents | 37 | |
| """ younger brothers and sisters, or nephews and nieces | 29 | |
| Widows with families to support | 23 | |
| Girls from the country, to support themselves | 280 | |
| """" brought to Paris by soldiers, clerks, students, etc. | 404 | |
| Servants seduced by masters and abandoned | 289 | |
| Concubines abandoned by their lovers | 1425 | |
| Total | 5183 |
It appears that there were in Paris, in 1832, two hundred and twenty “tolerated houses”—that is to say, brothels. The rules regarding these are numerous. They can not be established in certain localities, such as the Boulevards, or other great thoroughfares. They must not be within one hundred yards of a church, or within fifty or sixty yards of a school, whether for boys or girls; of a palace or other public building, or of a large boarding-house. The proprietor of the house must have given his consent before the house can be used as a brothel. Two houses can not be established side by side, much less can they have the same entry. As a general rule, a preference is given to small, narrow streets, especially culs de sac, and to places where brothels have been established before.
With regard to the interior of these houses, they must contain a room for each girl; on no account are two prostitutes allowed to occupy the same room, much less the same bed. Each room must, moreover, be amply provided with utensils, soap, and water, for ablution. No house of prostitution can have back or side doors, or in any way communicate with the adjoining buildings. No house can contain dark closets, or dark passages, or concealed hiding-places. In none of them can any trade or traffic be carried on.
With regard to the class of houses called maisons de passe (assignation houses), the police authorities require that in every such house two regular prostitutes, inscribed on the police rolls, shall live permanently. The object of this rule is to obtain a control and supervision over these houses. Before it was adopted the police was often embarrassed by denials of its authority to invade them. It is found that the prostitutes, being naturally hostile to the mistresses of the houses, will act as agents of the police in the event of any scandalous proceedings.
The windows of houses of prostitution must be roughed, as also must those of rooms where individual prostitutes live. They can only be partially opened. These regulations were made in consequence of the shocking scenes that were witnessed at the windows of brothels after the Revolution, naked women being the least of the scandals that used to be exposed.
No one can keep a house of prostitution in Paris without an authorization from the police. Men are never permitted to keep establishments of the kind. A woman who desires to open a house must apply in writing to the Prefect of Police. On receipt of her application, reference is made to the Commissary of Police of the ward to ascertain her character. If she has been condemned for crime or misdemeanor, her request is rarely granted. If she stands in the police books as a woman requiring supervision, she can not succeed. Nor can she obtain a license, under ordinary circumstances, unless she has been a prostitute herself. The reason of this regulation is obvious; no one but a prostitute understands the business thoroughly; and as the position of brothel-keeper is found to be the most demoralizing station in the world, it has been the policy of the Paris police to throw impediments in the way of persons not wholly depraved devoting themselves to so dangerous a calling. Furthermore, the applicant must have reached a certain age. She must also be of sober habits, and apparently possessed of sufficient force of character to be able to command a house full of prostitutes. She must possess a sum of money sufficient to guarantee her against immediate failure, and she must own the furniture in the house she wishes to keep.