11
MILITARY LOCK HOSPITALS, MADRAS PRESIDENCY.
Only healthy women should be registered, and not the class of females we have at present on
the list. They are broken down ; their genitals, in many instances, being one mass of cicatrices ;
and when healed, they are allowed out of hospital. In about a week they are admitted
again as bad as ever. A number of them are nothing more or less than pensioners upon the
Government, living in hospital the greater part of the year.
I would suggest that these broken-down patients be removed from the register.
The wall surrounding the hospital compound requires to be raised at least three feet and
a solid gate is required in place of the barred one now in use. There is nothing to prevent the
inmates leaving the hospital during the night, ply their trade for a few hours, and return in the
early morning ; the wall is so low. The Chucklers' mud huts near the south wall should be
removed ; they use the foot of this wall as a latrine ; and on examination days I have noticed
them looking into the hospital compound from their huts. The natives should be prevented
using the open space to the north and east of the hospital as a public latrine ; it is a nuisance, the
natives coming quite close to the hospital wall.
Until the police have more power to arrest unregistered prostitutes it will be impossible to
impede the spread of venereal disease amongst the troops. The Lock Hospital itself cannot effect
much, and the men can have access to women other than those that come under medical super-
vision; and until promiscuous intercourse can be effectually prevented, or until the soldiers are
more careful and circumspect in their actions, I cannot myself hope for much improvement in the
returns of venereal disease.
Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital at Wellington, by
Surgeon A. E. J. CROLY.
Nothing of interest.
Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital at Cannanore,
by Surgeon M. E. REPORTER.
The Cantonment Sub-Committee has not been convened during the year.
About the working of the Contagious Diseases Act, I am of opinion that it would be very
satisfactory if the police were to be more efficient and painstaking in detecting women who carry
on clandestine prostitution, as I have observed that almost every newly registered woman was
found diseased, and undoubtedly they were carrying on prostitution and spreading disease previ-
ous to their being registered. The rules under clause vii, Section 19 of Madras Act I of 1866,
are in force within a radius of four miles from the cantonment, and the estimated population
within this area is 30,000.
The subjoined table shows the castes of the prostitutes on the register :—
Castes.
No.
Castes.
No.
Europeans ... ... ...
1 Tiers
. . .
. . .
. . . 14
East Indians ..
... ...
4 Mussulmans ...
...
..
1
Native Christians ... ...
1 Pariahs ..
...
...
..
3
Hindus
..
..
... 10 Chucklers
...
..
1
Nairs ..
..
..
... 1
The average number of prostitutes that attended the weekly examination was 24·12, and the
number of women absent during the year was 51, of whom some have left the cantonment, and
of the remainder 10 were fined and 8 were imprisoned by the Cantonment Magistrate. The sum
collected by fines amounted to Rs. 12-12-0, which was credited to Government.
The registered women are examined on every Tuesday at the Lock Hospital, and, if found
diseased, are admitted into hospital for treatment.
There is a considerable increase in the number of admissions into the hospital during the
year compared with that of the previous years ; this increase is greatly due to a large number of
cases of menses and to recurrent cases of leucorrhœa brought on by frequent sexual excitement,
and, to some extent, want of nourishing food and use of inferior country liquor.
Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital at Kamptee,
by Surgeon-Major A. E. DALGAIRNS.
The Cantonment Sub-Committee, which meets once every month, is composed of the following
Officers : (1) Deputy Surgeon-General, Nagpore Force and. Central India Regiments, (2) Medical.
Officer in charge of the Lock Hospital, and (3) Cantonment Magistrate.