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89. The Magistrate of the District thinks the results satisfactory. During the
year a careful enquiry was instituted with a view to ensuring that every public
prostitute of the sudder bazaar should be registered, and the Magistrate thinks that
only one or two really unregistered public prostitutes now live there. He questions
the accuracy of the Medical Officer's statement, to the effect, that the soldiers' disease
is chiefly due to their consort with unregistered women of the sudder bazaar. The
women who cause the mischief may belong to the regimental bazaar or even to
Farukhabad city. Further, it is probable that disease is contracted from coolie and
other women, who cannot be deemed prostitutes, or brought under the rules. And the
Magistrate protests against the custom of attributing disease prevalence to neglect on
the part of the civil authorities.
90. The Commissioner of the Division notes that the report is not accompanied
by the usual statistical statements, and contains no mention of a sub-committee or its
work. It also appears that an Hospital Assistant was in charge. This inefficient
arrangement was complained of last year. The Commissioner is of opinion that a
properly qualified Medical Officer should have charge of a lock hospital, otherwise
efficient management will not result. The work, being distasteful, will not be properly
performed by a subordinate officer. There appears to have been an improvement in
results, as regards decrease of disease amongst the soldiers, during the year. The
Commissioner calls attention to the Magistrate's record of endeavour to exercise
efficient control over the sudder bazaar women.
RECORD OF GENERAL RESULTS.
91. During the year 1881 a monthly average of 1,145 women remained on the
registers. For the four years, 1878-81, the averages have been 1,350, 1,286, 1,152,
and, as above, 1,145. The record witnesses to a persistent decline in the number of
registered women, and this decline, as regards the year 1881, becomes still more
marked from a consideration of the fact that 18 lock hospitals were open in that year,
against 17 in the previous years of the series. Deducting the 53 newly-registered
women at Sitapur, the average for the 17 remaining hospitals falls to 1,092.
92. The first element of success in this endeavour is undoubtedly a full supply
of presentable registered women. I think, the women should at least equal in
number a ratio of ten per cent. of the European garrison. The European garrison
of the N.-W. P. and Oudh in 1881 was 14,372, and ten per cent. of that strength
is 1,437.
The average of women in 1881 was 1,145, a number therefore very much below
the efficient requirement. Looked at in that light, indeed, it is necessary to make a
deduction of the average number of women in hospital, if the real figure of efficient
force is required. This number in 1881 was 221, leaving 924 monthly average of
efficient women. This persistent decline, in the strength of registered women, is
becoming a serious element of hindrance to the expectation of success, in regard to
this scheme of disease prevention. And it is necessary for me to direct attention to
the localities of its chief incidence. This may be done briefly and emphatically in
form of table record as below:—
No.
Hospital at—
Number of registered women.
1879.
1880.
1881.
1 Allahabad
...
...
...
171
159
137
2 Cawnpore
...
...
...
145
119
108
3 Meerut ...
...
...
...
136
112
95
4 Lucknow
...
...
...
119
95
87
5 Fyzabad
...
...
...
91
90
76
6 Benares...
...
75
68
56
7 Jhánsi ...
...
...
...
31
29
1 5
8 Muttra ...
...
...
19
13
11
Total...
...
787
685
585