CAUSES OF PROSTITUTION 259 



with her, or receiving visits for immoral purposes from male persons under 

 18 years of age. 



A few had been punished on account of feticide or incest. 



Thus, criminality is very considerable amongst prostitutes. 



Seventy-one per cent of the women suffered or had previously suffered 

 from venereal diseases, 32 per cent of these having gonorrhea only, 29 per 

 cent syphilis only and 39 per cent both syphilis and gonorrhea. Let it be 

 remembered, however, that these high figures are due to the peculiar life 

 and the not inconsiderable age (cfr. page 257) of these women; besides the 

 venereal diseases have greatly decreased during the last decades. 



Forty-two per cent suffered from serious chronic diseases. 58 per cent 

 of these had salpingitis, 6 per cent gallstone complaints, 9 per cent tubercu- 

 losis (in the lungs, bones or joints), and 30 per cent suffered from other 

 diseases (such as epilepsy, reduced vision or hearing, heart diseases, ulcer 

 of the stomach, hemophilia, congenital deformities, traumatic invalidity, 

 etc.). 



In the majority of the chronic invalids, who represent an essential 

 part of the total number, the working-power was reduced and prevented 

 them from a legitimate occupation, although they had no aversion to work. 

 At a rough estimate, really reduced working-power was found in 25 per cent 

 and minimal working-power in 5 per cent; 30 per cent had apparently re- 

 duced working-power, it was impossible to detect however any cause of the 

 reduction, whence it must be due to lack of industry and of energy and 

 steadiness to attend to regular work. 



The psychiatric test of the examined yielded the following figures: 



per cent 



Intelligence quotient of more than 90 per cent 51 



Intelligence quotient of from 90 to 85 per cent (slightly retarded) 23 



Intelligence quotient of from 85 to 75 per cent (retarded) 17 



Intelligence quotient of from 75 to 55 per cent (debile, morons) 8 



Intelligence quotient of less than 55 per cent (imbecile) 0.3 



Refused to submit to the intelligence test 1 



Thus, 48 per cent of them were retarded, debile or imbecile; 25 per cent 

 were constitutional psychopaths and 8 per cent suffered from other dis- 

 tinctly pronounced, psychic disturbances (hysteria and hysteric disorders 

 of the mind, degenerative insanity, manic-depressive psychosis, homo- 

 sexualism, etc.). 



Moderate alcoholism was detected in 21 per cent, strong alcoholism in 

 4 per cent. 



