The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1919-08-07
THE UNAVOIDABLE EVIL"
The Views of DIR. Lascale on This
Important Subject.

We print below. the views of one,
of our very prominent physicians on
what he terms the Unavoidable
Evil" being in his opinion a much
better term than the Necessary
Evil DR.. Lascale has for years made
close study of the relations of
social diseases and restrictions of
vice as they stand to-day.
DR.. Lascale's letter follows:
New Orleans, La. August l, 1919.
DR.. c. " Kraft,
Editor Algiers Herald.
Dear Sir and Friend:
1t is my pleasure to accede to your
request for my views concerning the
subject of prostitution at present so
much in the public eye.
A moral wave is now spreading
within our city, and hope It will not
simply be temporary high wind.
will limit myself to the regulation
of prostitution" including the de
crease of venereal disease.
hdo DCCn SdIu u Uc
the oldest of all professions, mean
| ing that We know of no custom thai
antedates it. The term necessary
evil so frequently used is a very
| wrong one, and | think a better anC
less Objectionable term would be "un
avoidable evil.
That the evil is unavoidable car
be deducted by a few facts from
ancient as well as present history
The earliest history of mankind
records prostitution as very pre-
valient. The Babylonians reeked with
RIGHTEOUSNESS, frequently under the
cloak of religion. In one of theil
annual feasts the women assembled
and offered as sacrifice to the God
dess Mylitta their bodies to the mer
present. who in turn had to offer g
gift to his chosen female and implort
the favor of their most popular God
dess. A woman was considered
virtuous unless she had received over
forty CONCENTRATES.
Jews and Romans passed severe laws
against traffic in women without any
success. The early Roman Christian
rulers Constantine, Constatius
Theodosius the Younger, and Jus
tinian pronounced severe penaltie.
against the debauching of young
females to a life of shame. and We
the nations vices continued as be
fore. Rome in fact became known
as the contamination Of the northern
tribes; the Huns and the Goths who's,
laws were a prohibitory characte
give evidence of white slavery. 4
prostitute was punished by expulsion
from the country. The decree o
! Theodore threatening death to thos,
who gave shelter or support to loos'
persons is a clear indication of thu
bent themselves to the hopeless tasl
of freeing their land from the tain
of prostitution.
In 1867 there was published in Pari!
an edict threatening procurer will
confinement in the pillory. Some
times the procuress was mounted OF
an ass, her face towards its tail
suitably placarded and parade'
through the streets of the city, thel
publicly dashed and either sent t.
prison or exile.
In Naples before the thirteenth cen
fury the procuress and adultress wer'
punished by amputation of the nose
And yet we are told that Naples II
the fifteenth century was hopelessl.
mired in its cesspool Of wantonness
girls were seized upon the streets an
actually forced into houses of i'll fame
Alphonso TX promulgated laws a
H follows: men who traficked in d.
bauchery were expelled from tn
country. Slave women were give
their freedom and endowed shout
their owners lead them into adultr!
Men who connived at the prostitutio
of their wives or who seduced Marie
women were condemned to dealt
Girls who supported men were pull
licly whipped and deprived of the
clothes while men for the first o
!. tense were severely flogged. for til
second offense were expelled frol
the city, for the third offense wei
sentenced to the gallows. Undt
these laws prostitution flourishe'