18
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE
The British Regimental authorities are said to have employed their own military men to
detect the women communicating disease to soldiers, and to prevent unlicensed prostitutes
entering barrack premises after sunset. Further steps to prevent the spread of venereal diseases
are also taken by deputing one police head constable and three constables for the special duty.
The unlicensed prostitutes are, as a rule, only registered when totally unfit to carry on their
trade. Every newly registered prostitute has been admitted into the hospital, on first
examination, in advanced state of some form of venereal diseases, with completely broken-down
constitution. The registration can thus be proved to have been inefficient. The women
directly or indirectly obtain tickets at their own accord, when they find no other means than
hospital admission for their livelihood. The number registered during the past year was
47 against 99 in 1877. The number of non-registered prostitutes who voluntarily came for
treatment has been 83, almost double that of the registered class, which composed generally of
poorer classes of different castes from all parts of the district.
The decrease in the registered number during the last year is partly due to the gradual
subsidence of famine and partly to other causes.
No fee is levied for registration. 359 women absented from the periodical examinations
during the past year, and the irregularity was reported to the Cantonment Magistrate, who fined
6 absentees, and realized the sum of Rupees 5 thereby, and imprisoned several. Beyond an
attempt to evade hospital admission no other cause can be assigned for the irregularity.
Tri-weekly examinations of the registered women are carefully conducted at the hospital
for detection and treatment of venereal diseases.
The proportion of registered women under treatment for venereal diseases to the strength
during the year has been 1 to every 1 . 90 against 1 to every 2·31 in 1877.
The debilitated state of the constitution and the chronic stage of the disease on admission
have necessarily lengthened the period of their stay in hospital.
The predominant number of admissions for primary syphilis, both among the British
troops and non-registered class treated at the hospital during the year, prove the infection of
the troops by the unlicensed prostitutes to a greater extent than by the registered section.
The total admission among registered women was 295, of which 195 were for gonorrhœa and
78 for primary syphilis.
Venereal diseases alone are admitted into the hospital. Suspected cases at the periodical
examinations are kept under strict observation in hospital only, until their freedom from disease
is proved.
Dhaies are not employed. Construction of special line of houses for the registered pros-
titutes will add to the facility in tracing the origin of venereal diseases among the troops.
Extract from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital, Cannanore,
by Surgeon J. H. RITCHIE, M.D.
Strength of Prostitutes.
Remained on register on 31st December 1877
...
. . .
. . .
36
Registered during the year
....
...
. . .
...
24
Total ...
60
Number who removed their names, absconded and died
...
...
...
2
Remained on the register on the 31st December 1878
. . .
. . .
53
Number of Sick.
Remained on the 31st December 1877
. . . . . .
. . .
2
Admitted during the year
...
...
...
...
156
Recovered
...
...
...
...
...
144
Remaining in hospital on the 31st December 1878 ...
...
14
Daily average number of sick
...
...
...
. . .
7·69
Average number of days in hospital
...
...
...
17·93
RS. A. P.
Average cost of each patient dieted in hospital...
. . .
...
3 13 5
Do. do. do. for contingencies ...
...
...
. . . 0 13 5
British Troops.
Average strength during the year
...
...
...
...
...
...
651
Number of venereal sick remained on the 31st December 1877
...
...
7
Do.
do. admissions in hospital during the year
. . .
. . .
102
Remaining on 31st December 1878 ...
...
...
...
10
Ratio of admissions per mille of' strength
... ...
,..
. . .
156·6