12
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE
Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital at Wellington, by
Surgeon-Major W. KEIR.
There is no Cantonment Committee. The rules were carried out under the Cantonment
Magistrate on representation of any infringement by the Medical officer or police.
Two constables are entertained to supervise the registered prostitutes and to prevent illicit
prostitution.
The registration extends over an area of 5 miles and has been fairly efficient. It includes
Chuckler, Pariah, Muhammadan, Hindu and European prostitutes; 7 were added to, and 6
removed from, the register during the year.
The average number is 30 against 31 . 95 last year.
The attendance has been slightly better than last year but on account of sickness, preg-
nancy, absconding and wilful absence, non-attendance has been considerable.
One hundred and twenty have been reported to the Cantonment Magistrate for non-
attendance.
The fines awarded amount to Rs. 12-2-0 against Rs. 18-8-0 last year.
The women are examined once weekly at the Lock Hospital, and all found diseased are
detained until cured.
The admissions compared with last year are as follows :—
Diseases.
Admission for the venereal
amongst the prostitutes during
the year
1886.
1887.
Primary syphilis ...
...
...
...
. . .
17
34
Secondary do.
...
...
...
...
6
1
Gonorrhœa
...
...
...
...
...
80
84
103
119
The admissions for primary syphilis are twice as many as last year ; for secondary syphilis
1 admitted against 6 for gonorrhœa 84 against 80 last year. The primary disease was of a
mild and tractable character, not followed by constitutional syphilis. Gonorrhœa was of the
usual character and prevalence. The disease contracted by the men was also mild and amenable
to treatment, and did not give rise to secondary syphilis. There appears to be a relation between
them. No woman is treated in hospital for non-venereal disease.
Fourteen were detained during the monthly illness.
No Dhaies were employed.
The rules are sufficient when rigidly enforced, and on the whole this has been well done
during the year.
As the prostitutes have no fixed residence and being without houses, the rules would be
more easily enforced if houses were built and assigned to them. It would be well also in the
interest of decency, as prostitution and solicitation are carried on in the open day under the eyes
of all passers through cantonment and neighbourhood.
The Cantonment Committee have frequently been urged to provide houses for the prostitutes,
but no action whatever has been taken in the matter.
Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital at St. Thomas'
Mount, by Surgeon P. J. NUNNERLEY.
No Cantonment Sub-Committee exists. Three head constables and three constables are
detailed to watch the bazaar and the movements of the prostitutes. The regimental authorities also
take measures to prevent women frequenting the neighbourhood of the barracks, but their
preventive measures are ineffectual, as there is a large amount of clandestine prostitution carried
on, and women from other places come to the Mount and to Pallávaram, especially when the
troops come out for musketry practice, and it is not an uncommon practice among the soldiers
to accuse a prostitute in Mount for having diseased him, while the disease was contracted from
outsiders.
The total number of women from three stations, St. Thomas' Mount, Pallávaram and
Poonamallee, in the previous year was 30. During the year an addition of 5 was made, making
a total of 35 women, of whom 2 died and 5 absconded and were struck off from the list by the
order of the Cantonment Magistrate—.