10
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE
Bangalore. There is now, however, one Head Constable employed, who reports to the Superin-
tendent the absence of registered prostitutes from examination, and brings to notice any women
he may observe plying their trade without a license.
Registration, in my opinion is very insufficient for the purpose. The soldiers of the
garrison rarely, if ever, contract disease from those prostitutes which are registered. The men
of the cavalry and artillery especially consort with grass-cutters and others who infest the
neighbourhood of the barracks and lines. It will also be seen that the disease is more frequent
among young soldiers (as those of the 13th Regiment) than among the older hands, as was
evinced by the marked diminution of cases when the 67th returned to the station from
Afghanistan. The number registered this year has decreased, only 22 fresh women having
entered their names against 63 of the previous year. This is probably owing to the detective
agency having been withdrawn as mentioned above.
The women generally have been punctual in their attendance at the periodical examina-
tions. The admissions among the women during the past year have been 712 against 639 in
1879. The cases generally have been very virulent.
Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital at Bellary by
Surgeon-Major J. MATURIN, A.M.D.
Remained on the register on the 31st December 1879
...
•••
94
Registered during the year 1880
...
...
...
.••
•••
50
Total ...
144
Number who removed their names, absconded and died
...
..
54
Number remaining on the register on the 31st December 1880
...
90
Number of Sick.
...
Remained on the 31st December 1879
.•,
...
. . .
31
Admitted during the year 1880
•••
...
•••
...
...
305
Recovered
...
•••
...
...
...
•••
•••
•••
285
Absconded from the hospital ...
...
...
...
...
12
Died in hospital during the year
...
...
•••
...
Remaining in hospital on the 31st December 1880 ...
•••
...
39
Average daily number of sick ...
...
...
.••
•••
... 41'99
The compound wall is too low for privacy and security ; the gate also is low and insufficient
to prevent women absconding.
The control of prostitution is under the police. One Head Constable and three Constables are
deputed for this special duty ; one of them attends at the regimental hospitals daily, and takes
information from soldiers when admitted for venereal diseases; but this is of little benefit, as no
woman has ever been detected thus either diseased or practising prostitution clandestinely.
Some one of the Constables continually patrols the lines for the detection of unlicensed prosti-
tutes, and the Regimental Police assist in preventing prostitutes frequenting the lines. Regis-
tration has not been efficient, judging from the number of unlicensed prostitutes who came of
their own accord for admission when in an advanced stage of disease and they could carry on
their trade no longer.
The women have not been regular at the periodical examinations. The irregularity is
attributed to the attempt to evade hospital admission, as the majority of them, on being brought
for examination by the police, were found diseased. 104 individual women were reported for
non-attendance ; short periods of imprisonment only were awarded, and no fines were inflicted.
All prostitutes are examined at the Lock Hospital and, if found diseased, admitted and treated.
There has been a decrease of 38 in the number of admissions compared with the previous
year. The disease has been of a mild type, and only five cases of secondary syphilis occurred;
among the men this disease has been mild, and but few cases of secondary syphilis were con-
tracted in the station. Sixty-six non-registered women applied for admission when in advanced
stages of disease, and consequently were a long time under treatment.
I can only suggest that more stringent measures should be taken by the police to detect
unlicensed prostitutes. Until I brought it to notice the police were under the impression. that
their duty was only to detect disease among the prostitutes already registered,