avoiding her And, moreover, by handing the woman over to the police, the soldiers
would. be acting in their own interests. For it is from this unlicensed class of women
that soldiers chiefly contract disease, and then infect the registered women.
The greater control of the soldiers, and the more vigilant management of the
unregistered women of the place, are the chief points requiring attention.
A more attractive class of women than now should be registered. The military
police should prevent intercourse with unregistered women. The soldier should. be
punished, for contracting disease, by having to perform extra duty after discharge from
hospital. Many of the diseased soldiers enjoy the idleness of their hospital life, Com-
fortable free quarters for the women are also recommended. This measure might induce
more women to register themselves. In 1882 the ratio of registered women was only
4.6 per cent, of the soldiers: it should be 10 .0 per cent. But the main difficulty to be
overcome is the improvement of the soldier, so that he shall become a self-denying,
temperate, careful man. The Medical Officer regrets that favourable results have not
attended the efforts of the local authorities to check disease in 1882.
18. The Cantonment Committee, considering the report, resolve to forward it to
the Lock Hospital Sub-Committee for further report.
19. The Sub-Committee report that no efforts have been wanting to check the
increase of disease. And that until soldiers are punished for contracting disease,
better results are not be expected.
20. The Cantonment Magistrate reports that the sub-committee assembled
with great regularity, during the year, to watch the working of the rules and improve
it where necessary. Thirteen women were apprehended for practising without a
ticket. Nine of them were found diseased. There were three convictions for breach
of rules. Two were punished by simple imprisonment of 15 and 8 days respectively;,
one fined Rs. 4.
21. The Magistrate of the district notes the great increase of disease recorded,
and considers it a startling contrast to previous better experience. The increased
disease amongst the artillerymen is particularly surprising as, in Cawnpore, artil-
lerymen were shown to be most free of any soldiers from disease, at a former period
of the Magistrate's experience.
For better results the soldier requires "control from within," that is, control of
discipline and punishment. Until the soldier is punished for contracting disease, the
best arrangements as regards the registered women will effect no good, In the city
doubtless many women escape registration who ought to be registered, but it is difficult
to prove that they have consorted with soldiers, and impossible to register all the city
prostitutes. The chief evil, indeed, does not come from prostitutes at all, but from
coolie women who hang about the barracks. Their exclusion is a matter of regi-
mental police.
The Magistrate thinks a better class of women cannot be registered because the.
soldier cannot afford to pay the price such women can demand from other men. He
thinks it difficult to acquiesce in. the suggestion, that Government should provide
registered women with quarters. The falling off in the numbers of the registered
women is proof that it does not pay prostitutes to encourage soldiers' visits, and that
soldiers prefer the unregistered women. In addition to the three convictions reported
by the Cantonment Magistrate, the district courts disposed of four cases. Nine
women were brought on the register and fined Rs. 100. But the fines of two women
were remitted by the Magistrate.
22. The Commissioner notes that the report tells a tale of failure greater than
that of last year, notwithstanding the efforts of the authorities.
Remedy appears to reside first in the greater control of the soldiers, second in
the more vigilant management of unregistered women. The first is a matter for the
consideration of the military authorities. The second, so far as the city is concerned,