Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 202-205. (Budapest, 2008)
TANULMÁNYOK — ARTICLES - FORRAI, Judit: History of the politics of prostitution in Hungary (19-20th c.). - A 19-20. századi magyar prostitúciópolitika története
Medical doctors played an important role. At the start they worked as a civil medical man but later (1881) the police superintendant created the status of medical examiner, that is, medicalization in a militarized form. The medical examiner was responsible for the medical control, gave an expert's opinion, made decisions, in short the definition of the moral depended on the medical examiner. The Act of 1881. XXI. dealt with the duties of police doctors. It stated that: "The Police Chief Medical Officer has to take the initiative, has to make proposals in medical matters, prepares expert reports and references. Medical supervision and the control of prostitution comes under his authority (Paragraph 6)". This decree stabilized the medical officer's status. Accordingly medical tasks could only be effected on the command of the police. "The chief medical officer be initiative, should make proposals, expert's reports and references in medical matters. Medical supervision and control of the prostitutes be in his authority". In District I, for example, where there were 60 prostitutes, the enforced 25-krajcar fee for examinations twice a week meant an annual income of 3,120 Forints for the doctor doing the examinations. According to the statistics, the salary of the mayor was 3,000 Forints, that of the vice-mayor was 2,400, the chief medical consultant of a district received 800 Forints, the district doctor 500 Forints, the coroner 400 Forints, the district midwife 200 Forints and a police inspector received 600 Forints of yearly income (3). Thus this weekly and annual income from the sex industry examination fees was a serious source of income for the doctors involved. Professions Salary 15 Forint (HUF) Mayor 3.000 Vice-mayor 2.400 chief medical consultanat 800 police inspector 600 distric doctor 500 district midwife 200 sex industry examination doctor fees 3.120 The economic consolidation and the liberalization of society was well mirrorred by all of the legalisation the end of century. In 1885 János Török the new Chief of Police took up duty in the superintendant's office. He wanted to restict the vast corruption and to decrease the power of brothel owners. He made 36 brothels shut down, but the girls were managed favourably. The closure of the brothels, as well as the prostitutes' perception that they would be less exposed if they were outside of the brothel, brought about change. As a consequence the number of private, discrete prostitutes and the number of women who undertook some work in the civil section like hotels, or coffee houses, etc. increased. Thus, prostitution became no longer a main occupation, but rather a secondary job. The area for this activity was displaced, moving into low-grade hotels, public bath houses, pubs, cafes and bars, music halls, 15 Körösy, J.: Budapest Székesőváros statisztikai évkönyvei Pest City Statistical Annual) Pest, Rath, 1873.72-73.
