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5.
The Magistrate of the district submits the report, with the remark, that a
most satisfactory diminution of disease amongst the soldiers has characterized the
year's management—indeed, during the last three years there has been steady decrease
of disease—and he calls special attention to Major-General Macpherson's note on
the subject (which, I regret to say, is not in. the file). In view of this decrease he
cannot concur in the Medical Officer's remarks on the supineness of the police. And
the Magistrate does not consider that the names of women are removed from the
register without due cause. He still holds the view, expressed in last year's report,
that a more attractive class of women should be encouraged to live in cantonments.
If that could be effected, the disease prevalence might be still further reduced.
6. The Commissioner records the opinions that the results have been very satis-
factory. Yet the fact that the number of registered women continued to fall—the
figures of the last four years are 159, 137, 101, 75—seem to show that unlicensed
prostitution is steadily on the increase at Allahabad, and the complaints of the
registered women provide further proof of this.
The Magistrate thinks the Medical Officer unjustly blames the police and it
is difficult to keep the police at proper tension in this matter—neither too slack nor
too active. The soldier's custom, of resorting to unlicensed women, lies at the root of
the difficulty, and only from the soldier's assistance can improvement be looked for
in this direction.
2.—CAWNPORE.
7. During the year 1883, a monthly average of 95 women remained on the
register, against 102 in 1882. The results of the management have been most
satisfactory. For the 10 years, 1874-83, the ratios of admissions to hospital for
venereal disease amongst the European garrison have been, 439, 266, 201, 212, 302,
337, 217, 185, 139 and 122 per 1,000 of daily average strength.
8. The Medical Officer reports a sufficiency of hospital accommodation, the
buildings being in thorough repair.
Venereal disease was less amongst the European soldiers at Cawnpore in 1883
than in any previous year. And, indeed, this favourable result would appear still
more marked, if five cases of soldiers belonging to regiments marching through the
station were deducted from the total of admissions to hospital. Further, the effectual
management within cantonments is shown, by the fact that of a total of 73 admis-
sions for gonorrhœa, 37 occurred in the months of January and February, in a regi-
ment employed at the musketry camp outside the lock hospital area.
The police (eight constables and one head-constable) have done their duty
thoroughly, and much of the good result is due to their vigilance in suppressing
unlicensed prostitution. The weekly venereal returns have been regularly received
from the officer in charge of the station hospital. The lock hospital committee assembled
once in every month for the transaction of business.
A suspicion having arisen that registered women, who found themselves diseased,
were in the habit of removing their names from the register and retiring to the city
for cure, it was ruled—that no prostitute could remove her name from the register
without previous examination by the Medical Officer.
The registered women have been quiet, orderly, and submissive, giving little
or no trouble. No unregistered prostitutes live in cantonments, but many such
women live in the city and escape registration by bringing forward men who swear
to being their husbands. One city woman only was brought on to the register this
year, having been detected by special watch in receiving soldiers' visits. She was
found to be suffering from gonorrhœa, and the Medical Officer is certain that there
are many other women of the city of like kind and condition. He reported 20 such
to the civil authorities, but not one of them was placed on the register.