ht or more marked degree many of the
signs of neurotic heredity,[160] and it would not be surprising if they
present the germs of homosexuality in an unusually high degree. The life
of the prostitute may well develop such latent germs; and so we have an
undue tendency to homosexuality, just as we have it among criminals, and,
to a much less extent, among persons of genius and intellect.

Homosexuality is specially fostered by those employments which keep women
in constant association, not only by day, but often at night also, without
the company of men. This is, for instance, the case in convents, and
formerly, at all events,--however, it may be today,--homosexuality was
held to be very prevalent in convents. This was especially so in the
eighteenth century when very many young girls, without any religious
vocation, were put into convents.[161] The same again is today the case
with the female servants in large hotels, among whom homosexual practices
nave been found very common.[162] Laycock, many years ago, noted the
prevalence of manifestations of this kind, which he regarded as
hysterical, among seamstresses, lace-makers, etc., confined for hours in
close contact with one another in heated rooms. The circumstances under
which numbers of young women are employed during the day in large shops
and factories, and sleep in the establishment, two in a room or even two
in a bed, are favorable to the development of homosexual practices.

In England it is seldom that anyone cares to investigate these
phenomena, though, they certainly exist. They have been more
thoroughly studied elsewhere. Thus, in Rome, Niceforo, who
studied various aspects of the lives of the working classes,
succeeded in obtaining much precise information concerning the
manners and customs of the young girls in dressmaking and
tailoring work-rooms. He remarks that few of those who see the
"virtuous daughters of the people," often not more than 12 years
old, walking along the streets with the dressmaker's box under
their arm, modestly bent head and virginal air, realize the
intense sexual preoccupations often underlying these appearances.
In the work-rooms the conversation perpetually revolves around
sexual subjects in the absence of the mistress or forewoman, and
even in her presence the slang that prevails in the work-rooms
leads to dialogues with a double meaning. A state of sexual
excitemen