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Passes were granted to the men on Thursdays to visit the vicinity of Sitapur, but
there is no reason to believe that they spent their time in the villages.
The commanding officer asks that the medical officer may be called upon to
substantiate the facts he has recorded regarding the men of the 92nd. The com-
manding efficer is convinced that the greater part of the disease amongst the soldiers
was contracted from registered women, for, in many instances, registered women
pointed out by the soldiers as causing their disease were, on examination, found to be
diseased.
9. The Deputy Commissioner reports that, in the beginning of the year, there
was considerable distress in the district, and during that period numbers of destitute
women prostituted themselves in Sitapur and the neighbouring villages. These
women were a plentiful source of disease, and from them the increase of venereal
disease amongst the troops was caused. Precautionary measures were taken by
the military authorities, but the Deputy Commissioner is not aware that any
restrictions were put upon soldiers as regards their walks into the country for
sporting and other purposes. He has no doubt that on these occasions soldiers make
a point of meeting unregistered women, and very frequently get diseased. He
would not have the soldier's liberty generally curtailed in this respect, as the walks
are healthful and the good would suffer with the bad ; but is of opinion that while
hese excursions are permitted, it is impossible to control venereal disease.
10. The Commissioner forwards the papers without remark.
11. The delay in the submission of these papers to Government has been
accounted for by the fact, that the medical officer's report was originally written
without the authorized margin, and afterwards resubmitted, apparently in proper form,
but very badly written and with many clerical errors—conditions resulting no doubt
from the ill-health of the medical officer, who is a B.A. and M.B. of Cambridge, and
was invalided to England on the day the report was re-submitted.
It was further delayed for the receipt of the commanding officer's statement,
received from Ali Kheyl in Afghanistan, at Lucknow, on the 8th of May. Finally the
papers reached me on the 19th of May, too late to permit of their consideration in
the general report of the year, which had been already submitted to Government
. I have, therefore, to furnish a supplementary report and set of returns for Sitapur
12. I do not think there is anything in these Sitapur papers to invalidate the
opinion expressed in the previous report. That the year 1878 has been remarkable
for excess of venereal disease amongst the soldiers—disease due in greatest measure to
their intercourse with unlicensed women, who have been easy of access, by reason of
the distress which has prevailed.
Unfortunately, there is a division of opinion at Sitapur which can be best under-
stood by a study of the papers. On the one hand, it is held, that the increase of
disease resulted from intercourse with unregistered women : on the other, from inter-
course with registered women. I suppose there can be no doubt, and the Medical
officer appears to admit it, that some soldiers contracted disease from registered women,
but the balance of evidence is in favor of the opinion above expressed.
A considerable censure for the medical officer has come out of his expression of
opinion, that the soldier's liberty in regard to opportunities afforded to them to meet
unlicensed women should be restricted, and his endeavours to prove how partially
this was effected at Sitapur in regard to Her Majesty's 92nd Regiment. The officer
Commanding that regiment states that the medical officer's statements are most mali-
cious. And the General of the Division disbelieves one statement and does not attach
any value to another.