10
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE
admitted for treatment. The women so pointed out have always been registered prostitutes, and,
in the majority of cases, were found free from disease, or, if diseased, they as a rule were, suffering
from some affection other than that for which they had been pointed out by the soldiers ; con-
sequently I am of opinion that the soldiers point out the registered women apparently to shield
the women who are the real source of their disease.
I believe clandestine prostitution is carried on largely, and I doubt much whether the
police, who are entrusted with the execution of the Act, bestir themselves as much as they might,
as they are themselves men of very immoral habits, suffering largely from venereal diseases.
The following table shows the castes of the prostitutes on the register :—
Castes.
No.
Castes.
No.
East Indian
...
...
1
Christians
...
5
Hindus...
...
4
Mahomedans
...
...
3
Nairs... ...
...
1 Pariahs
...
...
...
3
T i e r s . . . . . . . . .
15
Chuckler
...
...
. ..
1
The attendance of the women at the periodical examination has been more regular and
satisfactory than the previous year.
The registered prostitutes are examined on every Tuesday morning at the Lock Hospital
and those found diseased are detained in hospital for treatment, and those with any slight symp-
toms of leucorrhœa are made to attend daily, or twice a week, as the case may be, for treatment
as out-door patients.
There has been a diminution in the number of women admitted for venereal affections
during the year under review compared with that of the previous years, which fact is partly due
to the longer period women are kept under treatment, and partly to women being detained in
hospital during the period of menstruation.
Nearly half of the admissions were leucorrhœa and gonorrhœa; the type of both was mild
and readily yielded to appropriate treatment. The commonest form of leucorrhœa met with is
cervical catarrh, which is frequently associated with constriction of the os uteri and cervical
canal, and it is very apt to recur after apparent cure by the constant irritation to which the
affected parts are subjected, and by the intemperate habits of the prostitutes generally.
Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital at Bellary, by
Surgeon-Major W. A. GARDINER.
There has been no change in the Cantonment Committee.
The control of prostitution is under the police, and for this purpose there are one head
constable and three men. Every woman found prostituting is registered and obliged to attend
the periodical examinations at the Lock Hospital. When a soldier is admitted for venereal
disease the police, as far as possible, find out from him the name of the woman from whom he
contracted the disease, when she is brought for medical examination. Registration has not been
efficiently carried out, and several (23) non-registered women sought admission when in an
advanced stage.
The average strength on the register was 73.88, average weekly attendance 24.75, average
weekly non-attendance 27.25. From the above it will be seen that the women are very irregular
in their attendance at the periodical examinations, which are held twice a week. There appears
to be a very great deal of venereal disease among the unregistered prostitutes, and of these there
are very many at Bellary. It is to a very great extent from these women that the soldiers
contracted their diseases. The making of a new railway line here has collected a great number
of cooly women in the station, and there will probably be an increase in unregistered prostitutes.
Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital at St. Thomas'
Mount, by Surgeon J. W. EVANS.
The police are, I believe, very active in bringing unlicensed prostitutes on the register.
Registration includes both first and second class prostitutes, who are registered from St.
Thomas' Mount, Guindy, Pallavaram and Poonamallee. 63 prostitutes were on the register
December 31st, 1880. The Mount and Pallavaram women have been fairly regular in attend-
ance; the Poonamallee women not so regular, which is partly accounted for by the distance
of six miles that these have to come. All prostitutes attend at the hospital for examination on
Friday ; those diseased are admitted into hospital.