( 11 )
He thinks all prostitutes by profession ought to be registered, and even dancing-
girls, who, from north to south of India, practise prostitution and are a cause of dis-
ease. He would desire to protect.the native population, as well as the European, from
venereal disease, on the grounds that protection is.granted against cholera , and small-
p o x
The medical officer commends a recent general order prohibiting access to the
canteen for 14 days to soldiers discharged from. hospital after cure from venereal dis-
ease. This order will prevent relapse of gonorrhœa.
46. The Deputy Commissioner reports the satisfactory working of 'the manage-
ment during the past year, especially as regards the prevention of illicit prostitution.
He deprecates' the extension of 'the lock-hospital system to the whole country,
as proposed by the medical officer. The system is enforced for the benefit of soldiers
only.
47. The Commissioner forwards the report without comment.
48.
(8)—BENARE S.
49. During the year 1878 a monthly average of 66 women remained on the
register at Benares against 71 in 1877.
The results of the management have been unsatisfactory.
For the five years, 1874-78, the ratios of cases of venereal disease amongst the Euro-
pean soldiers at Benares have been 370, 341, 479, 479, and 333 per 1,000 of daily
strength respectively. The figures show an improvement in 1878 by comparison with
the previous years, but still the ratio remains very high.
50. The Medical Officer reports three changes of medical management during the
year There was a marked diminution of venereal disease amongst the soldiers in 1878
as compared with 1877. The admissions to hospital for syphilis and gonorrhœa were
about equal in number; chiefly the diseases were of mild type, but a few were severe.
The cantonment sub-committee assembled once in every month of the year.
The medical officer deprecates the remarks of the Sanitary Commissioner, North-
Western Provinces and Oudh, in the report for 1876. He can give no information
to support the remarks that in 1876 the management was bad, or that extraordinary
liberty was accorded to the soldier, or that the management of the women was lax. He
was not in charge himself then. The medical officer thinks he extent and ramifica-
tions of the city of Benares and its bazaars, which are not within the area of lock . hos-
pital rules, make it difficult to prevent disease at Benares station. There is no proof
that soldiers visit the city without pass, or that disease was contracted at the railway
station. Diseased women may have entered the lines, and soldiers may have visited
prostitutes outside the lock-hospital area, but these are assertions without proof. The
soldiers cannot, on sanitary grounds, be confined to their barracks, from one end of the
year to the other.
The prevalence of disease amongst the registered women was greater in 1878
than in 1877, which may be accounted for upon the supposition that the women con-
sorted with the lower order of natives, which cannot be prevented.
Every registered woman was examined weekly, and some twice a week.
The medical officer believes that the proportion, 17 per cent , of registered women
to soldiers is too great at Benares, and thinks that if about 30 attractive-looking
women displaced the large number of undesirable-looking creatures now on the registers,
the results of the management might be more favorable.
The Cantonment Committee record the opinion that the attendance of the
registered women for inspection was very satisfactory. Fourteen were punished for
breach of lock-hospital rules. The very considerable decrease of disease amongst the