15
MILITARY LOCK HOSPITALS, MADRAS PRESIDENCY.
loiterers. The military police have assisted the civil detective police. The Senior Medical officer
of the North Station Hospital observes on this point that it is "a decided improvement on pre-
vious arrangements and should be productive of good results." There is no doubt by this system
a ready check is obtained and no time lost. To ensure the proper and regular discharge of this
duty by the civil detective police, each man is required to keep a pass-book in which he has to
get a daily entry from the provost sergeant in token of his having attended; and in the town
of Secunderabad the detectives get their books attested daily by the head constable of the various
police stations.
Women of all castes and classes proved to be illicitly consorting with soldiers are brought
on the register. During the year 1887, 37 additional cases were registered as compared with
35 for the previous year. All were found diseased, and most of them severely so. Sixty-
three women were taken off the register on the plea of marriage, leaving the station, amp;c.,
but there is reason to believe that some of them are still carrying on their trade in the station or
its vicinity. The total increase in the numbers, as compared with the preceding year, was 2.
The registration has been so far found to be fairly efficient, and it embraces an area of 7
square miles. It may here be noted that the numbers registered during the first half-year was
5 and removals 40, whereas in the second half (which comprised Captain Muiris' term of office)
the registrations were 32 and removals 23.
No fee is levied on registration.
The attendance of women during the periodical examinations has been regular. The number
of prostitutes permitted by the Cantonment Magistrate to have their names taken off the register
on the score of leaving the cantonment was 54, on account of marriage 4, other grounds 5—
total 63.
The number of individual women reported for non-attendance was 61. They were dealt
as follows :
—
Number exempted from punishment on account of absence from weekly examinations was 7,
sentenced to hard labor for such absence 19, simple imprisonment nil, fined 35 and other
punishments nil. The amount of fines recovered from prostitutes was Rs. 56-8-0.
As reported last year registered women are examined on Tuesdays at Secunderabad and
Thursdays at Trimulgherry, and registration is compulsory. Treatment is afforded only at the
Lock Hospital at Secunderabad.
Disease has shown a decrease during the year reported on. Its form was mild and it was
more readily amenable to treatment. A few severe cases presented themselves among newly
registered women. There has been a general correspondence in the nature of disease between
the Lock Hospital and the European Station Hospitals. Until receipt of instructions to the
contrary, it was customary to detain "under observation" suspicious cases, especially during
monthly illness; but since communications of the orders of Government of India per No. 279,
dated Simla, the 26th September 1887, this has been abandoned and more frequent examinations
instituted. No women were detained for their monthly illness. The admissions for venereal
were 715, non-venereal cases 188—total 903.
No Dhaies are employed here, the work of detection being left to the police.
From the reports received from the regimental authorities, it seems that some of them are
of opinion that a sufficient number of women are not at all times present to meet requirements.
This is very probable and is to be accounted for by the fact that sufficient protection is not
afforded to the women who, under the present state of things, are exposed to ill-treatment and
annoyance by the more disorderly of the men, consequently they abandon their dwellings in the
Lal Bazaar for the greater part of the day and night, only occupying them as little as possible
and that for the purpose of pre-arranged. meetings. The houses which are usually left unlocked
are secretly used by other women as a cover for their trade, and thus disease is increased.
It would be advisable that a police guard should occasionally patrol the Lal Bazaar and afford
assistance against the excesses of some of the soldiers. A small regimental staff, supplemented
by a few Native policemen, would suffice for the purpose. Were this done, permanent continuous
residence at the houses should be made compulsory, thus affording the soldiery facilities for inter-
course with women known to be under medical supervision.
The following table is intended to show the help afforded by the soldiers themselves in the
detection of sources of disease :—
Average strength
during the period of
occupation.
T o t a l a d m i s s i o n s .
T o t a l p o i n t e d o u t .
F o u n d d i s e a s e d .
F o u n d f r e e f r o m d i s e a s e .
Detected by the
Medical Officer at the weekly
examinations before being
pointed out by the
European soldier.
A c t u a l c r e d i t t o t h e E u r o p e a n s o l d i e r s .
2,827
810
76
28
48
24
4