LOCK HOSPITALS, MADRAS PRESIDENCY.
25
The only European troops at the station consist of a detachment of H.M.'s 33rd Regiment.
The average strength of it during the year has been 47.06. The number of admissions for
venereal diseases during the same period has been as follows:—Primary syphilis 7, secondary
syphilis 2, gonorrhœa, 5; last year it was primary syphilis 3, secondary syphilis 2, gonorrhœa
5, thus showing an increase in cases of primary syphilis.
There is a Monthly Committee.
The only measures for the control of prostitution are registration and examination of
women.
Only those women frequented by European soldiers are supposed to be on the register.
Registration extends over an area of five miles round cantonment. Three women have been
brought on the register during the year.
The attendance of the women on the whole has been regular during the year. The
number reported for non-attendance has been 129.60. The number found diseased has been
58. Some of the women were fined, and some have been imprisoned by the Deputy Commis-
sioner for non-attendance.
There have been 58 admissions during the year, viz., primary syphilis 2, gonorrhœa 47,
ulcer of uterus 8, œdema of labia 1. There has been no admission for secondary syphilis:
this must be considered a proof of the mildness of the type. The average daily number of sick
has been 1.34.
Extract from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital, Trichinopoly,
by Surgeon-Major T. G. HOWELL.
There have been no changes in the medical charge of this institution.
Weekly returns of the British troops serving at Trichinopoly, have been regularly forwarded
in accordance with the accompanying general statement prepared from them:—
Regiment.
Period of
Occupation.
Average
Strength
during
Period of
Occupa-
tion.
Number of Admissions from Venereal
Diseases during Period of
Occupation.
Ratio of Admis-
sions per 1,000
of Strength
during Period
ofOccupation.
Detachment,
67th Regi-
ment.
From 1st
Jan. to 31st
Dec. 1877.
149.19 Primary syphilis
...
...
...
17
113.94
Gonorrhœa
...
...
...
...
30
201.08
Secondary syphilis
...
...
...
1
6.7
Stricture ...
...
...
...
...
1
6.7
Total ...
49
Deduct cases contracted at other places.
3
Balance number of cases contracted at
Trichinopoly ...
...
...
...
46
Detachment,
9th Bri-
gade Royal
Artillery.
Do. ... 135.82 Primary syphilis
...
...
...
14
103.07
Gonorrhœa
...
...
...
...
23
196.34
Secondary syphilis
...
...
...
6
44.17
Total ...
43
Deduct cases contracted at other places.
...
Balance number of cases contracted at
Trichinopoly..........
43
A Cantonment Sub-Committee seems to have at one time existed, but has fallen in abeyance
for the reasons stated in the Cantonment Magistrate's letter forwarded in 1875. I need
scarcely observe that the appointment of such a Committee would be attended with the greatest
benefit, and would have been this year especially useful on account of the relief camps in the
neighborhood, as many of the women from these were caught by the Police at the European
barracks and brought to the Lock Hospital, and were found on examination to be in a fright-
fully diseased state, which, when the number resident in the camp are taken into consideration,
fully accounts for the increase of sickness from venereal disease amongst the European troops at
this station during the year.
The number registered during the year amounts to 43 against 22, 22, 27, 13, 40 and 26
for previous years, respectively, of 1876, 75, 74, 73, 72 and 71, shewing an increase of nearly
7