Enclosure in 4/615
Report by the Principal Civil Medical Officer.
To the Honourable Colonial Secretary.
With reference to the question of the engagement of a Lady Doctor to assist in the treatment of prostitutes, I would draw attention to the fact that any attempt to deal with Chinese prostitutes individually, whilst still in the brothels, would be useless; they are bought when young and are practically brought up to this sort of life, so that from want of education they are absolutely indifferent to the life they are living, and believe themselves bound body and soul to the brothel keepers.
The Lady missionaries, I am informed, find it almost impossible to influence these prostitutes after they have once entered a brothel; they refuse to receive them into their homes unless they can obtain them when young before they have entered a brothel.
The only way to affect them either by Doctors or Missionaries, is to remove them first from the influence of the brothel keepers.
I fail to see how a Lady Doctor by visiting a brothel