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succeeding 9 months. The sadar bazaar was placed out of bounds to the soldiers; but
it is believed the order has been disobeyed, and that they still contract disease there, foe
which they blame the registered women. Careful examination of the accused women
has, in every instance, shown the injustice of the blame.
The Medical Officer has recommended the establishment of a chukla in the sadar
bazaar. The women would gladly live there in care of a head-woman : for then they
would be less liable to ill-treatment by the soldiers and would get food and clothing.
The Medical Officer has no doubt that the excessive disease amongst the soldiers
is contracted from the great number of diseased and uaregistered women who prowl
in the vicinity of the lines or in the sadar bazaar.
80. The Assistant Magistrate remarks that up to date the working of the system
must be considered unsatisfactory at Fatehgarh. But in a newly-established institu-
tion perfect arrangements could not be expected. The bad results are for the most
part due to a refusal of the Hospital authorities to receive all diseased women for
treatment, and to neglect of the rules sanctioned by the Government of India.
Two women were discharged from hospital as incurable soon after it had been
opened.
The Cantonment authorities were asked to keep all diseased women in the hospital
for treatment. They answered that their funds were insufficient to meet the charge.
The committee however are, it would appear, able to meet the charges for a
daily average of 12 inmates, which ought to suffice for considerable improvement in
regard to disease prevalence eventually.
Action must not, however, be confined to the sadar bazaar, where soldiers are sel-
dom seen. Special regimental police should patrol, after nightfall, the roads and
nullabs or ravines situated near to the lines. It is there the soldier chiefly contracts
disease from coolie women, grass-cutters' wives, and other dirty women, and not
from respectable prostitutes, who will not receive the visits of European soldiers.
Advantage would , result from a curtailment of the liberty the soldiers now enjoy to
roam, late in the evening, in fields and villages.
Of the 18 women whose names were removed from the register, 12 left the dis-
trict rather than submit to medical examination, 4 were found to have discontinued
prostitution and became as married women, and 2 had been dismissed from hospital
as incurable. The 167 cases of women reported absent from examination were chiefly
cases of the women who bad left the district. The same names were sent up weekly
until they had been struck off the register.
All women object strongly to examination, and the Assistant Magistrate thinks it
might be sufficient if those found persistently healthy for six months were examined
only twice a month instead of four times as now.
Properly worked, the hospital should provide favorable results. But all diseased
women must be admitted for treatment and the Lock Hospital Rules fully carried out.
81.
The Magistrate and Collector thinks the Assistant Magistrate's explanations
are satisfactory. He is of opinion that the Cantonment Committee should be guided
in their action entirely by the Lock Hospital Rules, No. 2314A of 13th July, 1866,
contained in the printed copy of cantonment regulations.
82. The Commissioner is of opinion that the unfavourable results recorded are
due to want of energy on the part of the Cantonment Committee. The registration
is defective ; watch has not been kept over the villages and nullahs near the barracks.
Thoroughly diseased women were discharged from hospital uucured,—action resulting
probably in increased prevalence of disease amongst the soldiers.
The report is countersigned without remark by the Commanding Officer.