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Benares is not a place pestered by vagrant women. The unregistered women
who now cause disease to the soldier all have houses.
From the day the men can be got to point out the offending woman the matter
will be simplified. For there seems no reason why the women should not be punished
under sections 269 and 270 of the Indian Penal Code. A person negligently permit-
ting small-pox to be disseminated would assuredly be liable to punishment under
these sections ; and syphilis is a more dangerous disease than small-pox.
Finally, the Collector recommends sanction for the expenditure necessitated for a
subsidy, and the issue of stringent orders to the Military authorities to deal energe-
tically with the soldiers.
42. The Commissioner is of opinion that the results of the year's work are most
unsatisfactory. That—worked in the usual way—the Benares Lock Hospital endeavour
has been a complete failure. For its improvement some caustic scheme is required.
The barracks are so situated, near to native centres of population, that intercourse
with unregistered women is the universal custom with the soldiers. The distasteful
quality of the registered women helps to maintain that custom.
The Commissioner is of opinion that improved results cannot be expected until
the Military authorities exercise some hitherto untried means of restraint on the free-
dom of the soldier. He does not think, unless a better class of women is provided, it
will be useful to establish the proposed chukla street.
He is not in favour of a subsidy for the women. But recommends the more per-
fect application of the measures now in existence, aided by stringent interference on
the part of Commanding Officers.
9.—MORADABAD.
43. During the year 1880 a monthly average of 58 women remained on the
register against 49 in 1879.
The results of the management have been very unsatisfactory.
The ratios of admissions to hospital for venereal disease amongst the European
garrison for the seven years 1874-80 have been 166, 162, 98, 115, 374, 369, and 445
per 1,000 of strength respectively.
44. The Medical Officer reports that the lock hospital building, being situated
in the heart of the city and having nothing of isolation or privacy, is quite unfit for
its present purpose, for which it was never intended. The weekly returns of disease
amongst the soldiers have been regularly received, and have shown a remarkable pre-
valence of disease. This can only be due to its universal prevalence amongst the lower
class of natives. Experience of dispensary practice has shown that, during the last
two years, there has been extraordinary prevalence of syphilis amongst the people of
Moradabad generally. Especially amongst unregistered prostitutes the disease has
prevailed in very bad form. And as registered and unregistered women are alike
visited by the soldiers, disease must necessarily prevail amongst them.
The Cantonment Sub-Committee assembled once in every month, and the Civil
and Military authorities aided the cause in every possible way. As a special measure
of prevention, six detectives were employed at evening for the detection of unregistered
women found consorting with soldiers. They arrested several such unregistered
women, some of whom were found badly diseased. And the Medical Officer believes
that to them, and not to the registered women, the mass of disease amongst the sol-
diers is to be attributed. In proof of this it may be stated that while syphilis was the
prevailing disease amongst registered women, gonorrhœa was the prevailing disease
amongst the soldiers.
The Medical Officer considers the results of the year's working unsatisfactory, for
a large number of soldiers were laid up by venereal. The type of the disease is now