10
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE
Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital, Bellary,
by Surgeon J . D. T. RECKITT, M.S.
Annual Medical Report of Lock Hospital, Bellary, 13th March to 31st Dec. 1886.
There has been no change in the Cantonment committee which is composed of
—
President :
The Brigadier-General Commanding.
Members :
The Collector of the District.
Medical Officer in charge of Lock Hospital.
The Superintendent of Police.
Secretary :
The Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General.
The Committee has not assembled during the year.
The prostitutes are under Police supervision ; for this purpose one head constable and three
men are specially employed. (a) All women found prostituting have their names put on the
register ; (b) every registered prostitute is obliged to attend the Lock Hospital once a week for
examination, and, if found diseased, detained for treatment ; (c) every woman on register is sup-
plied with a ticket, on which the dates of her inspection are entered; (d) prostitutes absenting
themselves from the weekly examination are reported by letter to the Deputy Assistant Quarter-
master-General, Deputy Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, and a list of the names of
absentees is also given to the special head constable; (e) any soldier admitted into the Station
Hospital with venereal disease, if he can do so, is taken to the bazaar to point out the prostitute
from whom he contracted the disease, and the woman is at once admitted into the Lock Hospital,
examined, and, if diseased, detained for treatment; ( f ) a Regimental Police party, consisting of
eight men, patrols the European lines at nightfall, and any prostitute, cooly women, or other
found loitering in or about the barracks or lines are sent away.
Registration has been defective, only 128 having been brought on the register during the
year ; and 20 of these were removed, 19 escaped from hospital, none died.
No registration fees are paid.
The women have been very irregular at the periodical examination, the causes of which
appear to be defective Police supervision and objection of the women to be detained in hospital.
Number reported for non-attendance was 689.
Fines were imposed by the Magistrate, also punishment. Amount realized was Rs. 15.
All the women were examined every Tuesday and Friday and if found diseased, detained
for treatment.
Disease amongst the women has increased considerably. The year 1884 giving 269 ad-
missions and the 10 months of the year 1886, 359 admissions. Gonorrhœa was most prevalent
amongst the women and this coincides with the disease among the men, which was chiefly
gonorrhœa. Admissions among the women was almost exclusively due to venereal affections.
One Dhaie has been employed and she works very satisfactorily.
Compared with the year 1884, there has been an increase of venereal diseases among the
troops, but this I attribute to the absence of a Lock Hospital for nearly a year, during which
disease ran its course unchecked among the prostitutes and originated a severe form of venereal
among the men, resulting in longer detention in hospital.
It is absolutely certain that much venereal disease is contracted from non-registered
prostitutes, as out of a population of about 60,000, only 128 were registered, of which the average
number in hospital was 39.73, and the absentees 47 . 22, leaving only 41 at the soldiers' disposal,
and these held in check by weekly examination. It is evident from this that the Police super-
vision has been most defective, not that the Police staff is inadequate, but that they do not
satisfactorily perform their duties.
The large number of 19 absconded owing to the lowness of the wall and gate. This was
duly represented to the local authorities and recently the wall has been made higher by 3 feet
and a new gate of solid board is about to be substituted. It was also suggested for the sake of
cleanliness and order that a shed be erected in the hospital compound for messing purposes.
The attendance at weekly examinations has been irregular and defective, and though every
care was taken to represent to the authorities its importance, little good was done
.
The examinations were held on Tuesdays and Fridays of each week.