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prevent the mischief. Given year of distress, when pauper women are plentiful,
and the result is a greater amount of disease than existed before the lock-hospitals
were established.
96. Something of the unsatisfactory result in 1878 must certainly be put down
to the condition of warfare which has characterized the year. This has necessitated
much movement and marching of troops, and as usual much disease has been con-
tracted on the march or at halting stations. As recorded at paras. 12, 30, 58½, 66,
and 84, year after year the same fact of disease contracted on the march is recorded,
and it seems to be established that very little, if anything, of prevention against dis-
ease is in active existence then.
97. Amidst all this record of ill success, the one feature of comfort is the
undoubted benefit of the existing lock-hospital system to the very considerable company
of women who are controlled or otherwise benefited by it.
There is much in the reports testifying to this fact. I do not think the Govern-
ment intended that by the establishment of lock-hospitals the resulting benefits should
fall principally upon the women, but there can be little doubt that that is the result
which has been arrived at now. As a home, refuge, and place of cure, for diseased
women, who otherwise would probably go uncured to a lingering death, these institu-
tions are instrumental in conferring an amount of benefit on a most pitiable class of
suffering humanity.
This benefit extends far outside the circle of registered women, being indeed con-
ferred on all women suffering from venereal disease brought for treatment. The fre-
quency and serious nature of these cases of unregistered women may be seen by
reference to paras. 10, 11, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 62, 71, 80, and 85.
Indeed, from the frequency of the seriously diseased condition of unregistered
women brought for examination, it would seem probable that they are chiefly subject
to arrest only after they have become notorious as causing disease to the soldiers.
98. It seems likely that in establishing a lock-hospital system the Govern-
ment had hopes that the soldier would restrict his attentions, in more than former
measure, to the registered women certified to be healthy. It may even have been
hoped that the soldier would have been guided by stricter management to avoid the
companionship of unregistered women.
If that was so, I think experience shows that the hope was futile, excepting per-
haps in regard to here and there a regiment having a commanding officer more than
ordinarily solicitous about the welfare of his men.
I fear the British soldier cannot be managed in regard to this matter as I believe
some continental soldiers are. Governed as the English army is, probably something
of good tone pervades the force at large, making the open visitation of selected women
absolutely repugnant to many of the men. I think it always has been, and always
will be, an attribute of the English soldier to dress well and endeavour to look well
in his walks abroad, from a natural desire to please or attract, prior to more familiar
advances—an altogether different spirit to that which prompts a man to go straight
from the barrack-door to the brothel room. The reports contain much in support of
this view in this as in former years. At para. 14 the soldier is said to prefer furtive
intercourse even with an ugly woman to open intercourse with a good-looking regis-
tered woman. At para. 19 the unsatisfactory results of the year's working are attri-
buted to the soldier's preference for intercourse with unlicensed women. At para, 25
they are attributed to widespread unlicensed intercourse.
In para. 31, good-looking ayahs and female servants generally of cantonments
are said to be a source of mischief.
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