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A collection of FOUR BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY ACTS relating to Contagious Diseases. London: 1864, 1866, 1868, and 1886. All first editions. Royal coats of arms. Neatly extracted from bound volumes and expertly mended. The Contagious Diseases Acts were a series of laws intended to reduce the presence and spread of sexually transmitted diseases (such as venereal disease and gonorrhea) in the British armed forces. The Acts, which applied to certain military stations, garrisons, and seaport towns and surroundings, gave police the authority to arrest women found within the designated areas that they considered to be common prostitutes. The women were brought before a magistrate, and if there was agreement with the arresting officer's suspicions, the women were ordered to register with the police and submitted to biweekly invasive medical examinations. If found to be infected with the venereal disease, they were taken to a hospital and detained at the discretion of the physician in charge for up to nine months. If any woman refused to cooperate, she could face up to six months imprisonment with or without hard labour. The legislation was enacted at the request of the War Office and the Admiralty, who believed that the efficiency and productivity of the army and navy were being severely compromised because of the high incidence of venereal disease. Examination of the men for contagious diseases was completely out of the question, for fear of affecting the morale of the troops or discouraging recruits to enlist with the armed forces. The laws were quietly passed by Parliament with limited press coverage, as the topic was considered unsuitable for public discussion. In reality, many innocent women were picked up off the streets by police on suspicion (but with little or no evidence) of being sex workers (common prostitutes) and subjected to mandatory genital examinations, sometimes performed by ill-trained male officers who made the experience painful, humiliating, and traumatic. The entire body of legislation contained in the Contagious Diseases Acts, which had traumatized women for some twenty-two years, was finally repealed in 1886. The revocation of the controversial laws assured society that women at all classes would have their constitutional rights upheld, and signified a changing attitude towards women that was regarded as an important landmark in womans struggle for liberation and equal rights. The collection includes: (Item 1) An Act for the Prevention of Contagious Diseases at certain Naval and Military Stations. 27 & 28 Victoria, Chapter 85. Folio (11.25 inches). Caption title, pages 729-738. (Item 2) An Act for the better Prevention of Contagious Diseases at certain Naval and Military Stations. 29 Victoria, Chapter 35. Folio (12 inches). Caption title, pages 313-334. (Item 3) An Act to amend the Contagious Diseases Act, 1866. 31 & 32 Victoria, Chapter 80. Folio (11 inches). Caption title, 1 page + conjugate blank leaf. (Item 4) An Act to repeal the Contagious Diseases Acts, 1866 to 1869. 49 Victoria, Chapter 10. Folio (10.25 inches). Caption title, 1 page + conjugate blank leaf.
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