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MILITARY LOCK HOSPITALS, MADRAS PRESIDENCY.
The only virulent cases were among women brought on the register for the first time, and,
as a rule, these women were in a very diseased state. Men of the Royal Artillery admitted to
hospital for gonorrhœa accused certain registered prostitutes of giving them gonorrhoea ; on
examination of these women it was often found they had no disease, although such cases were
always kept under observation for a few days. Women are detained for menstruation, but not
for other non-venereal illness. In my opinion there are several women on the register who are
unfit for prostitution as they spend nearly all their time in hospital. One woman has just been
discharged after a continuous period of twenty months. If these women could be kept from
prostitution in some way, I think it would save the hospital much expense. I think, also, that
the Cantonment Magistrate is too strict in the evidence he requires before placing prostitutes
on the register. Many notorious prostitutes are now at large, and although the police have
brought them before the Magistrate, they are still unregistered, and cohabit with men of the
Royal Artillery.
Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital at Wellington,
by Surgeon-Major R. WATERS.
As the hospital is in an exposed position near the public roads, it is proposed in the
annual estimates to erect a wall around it at a suitable distance.
There were 63 admissions to hospital during the year, 13 for primary syphilis and 50 for
gonorrhœa. The cases were all of the ordinary character, except one, a case of primary
syphilis, which was complicated with extensive condylomatous growths. She had absconded for
a time, and on her return was found suffering from extensive disease. No Cantonment Sub-
Committee exists at this station, the supervision of the rules being carried out by the Canton-
ment Magistrate and the Medical Officer in charge.
There are two constables attached to the hospital for the purpose of looking after the
prostitutes and preventing, as far as possible, illicit prostitution. When a man reports sick
from venereal disease, he proceeds to the bazaar accompanied by a constable and hospital
orderly, and points out, if possible, the woman who communicated the disease. The woman is
then taken to hospital and admitted if diseased. I consider the registration has been efficient ;
it embraces, as far as practicable, all classes of females that practise prostitution, and extends
over an area of five square miles. Nine were added to the register during the year as compared
with eight the previous year.
As a rule . the women have been regular at the weekly examinations. Those who absent
themselves are reported and are taken by the constables before the Cantonment Magistrate, who
inflicts a fine or imprisonment as the case may demand. They are examined weekly at the
Lock Hospital, and admitted for treatment if found diseased.
During the year there has been a decrease in the number of venereal diseases when com-
pared with the two preceding years. No woman has been admitted for a non-venereal affec-
tion, and no woman has been detained on account of her monthly illness.
Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital at Kamp-tee, by
Surgeon-Major B. T. SUFFREIN.
The number of admissions has been considerably less than during the previous year, and
the working of the institution, as judged by the decrease in the number of admissions both
among European troops and registered women, has been very satisfactory.
The Cantonment Sub-Committee for exercising special supervision over the rules has
existed throughout the year. The meetings of the Committee were regularly held on the first
Monday of every month. The special measures adopted were the same as those noted by the
officer in charge last year, and his report may be repeated verbatim. They group themselves
under three heads—
( a . ) T h e r i g i d e x c l u s i o n o f a l l f e m a l e s f r o m t h e s i n g l e m e n ' s q u a r t e r s .
(b.) The watch maintained by the Cantonment police on the proceedings of women of
suspicious appearance.
( c . ) A n d t h e e n d e a v o u r t o i d e n t i f y w o m e n w h o h a v e i n f e c t e d s o l d i e r s .
The first of these seems to be the only really beneficial measure, the last almost invariably
ending in failure. Only one woman was sent up by the police for carrying on clandestine
prostitution during the year. The Cantonment Magistrate, however, reports that she was
acquitted, though her name was enrolled on the list of registered prostitutes. It appears to me
that registration is not as efficient as it might be. I believe that if any further improvement is
to be effected in this direction, some attention must be turned to venereal diseases as occurring
among policemen. Registered prostitutes are of two classes, those for Europeans and those for