( 7 )
In Meerut the locality of infection is thus recorded :—
Cases.
Cases.
In the sadr bazar
...
...
3 6
Camp in Meerut
. . .
...
22
European Infantry lines
. . . 119
City
...
. . .
. . .
3
Royal Artillery bazar ...
...
41
Plain
...
. . .
...
2
Hussars' bazar
...
...
39
Out of Meerut the locality of infection is thus recorded:—
Cases.
Cases.
Agra
...
. . .
...
1
Delhi
...
. . .
. . . 4
Umballa
...
. . .
...
1
On line of march
...
...
73
Landaur
...
. . .
...
1
Unknown ...
...
. . .
47
Saháranpur ...
...
...
1
Elsewhere
. . .
...
1
The cases of relapse were 38—of secondary syphilis 27. In regard to the iden-
tification of women who communicated disease, of 28 registered women pointed out
as having caused disease, 12 were found diseased upon examination.
A cantonment sub-committee, consisting of the Magistrate of the district, the
Superintendent of Police, a regimental officer, and an officer of the Army Medical
Department, assembled monthly for the transaction of lock hospital business. As
special means of preventing disease no women were allowed to enter the lines with-
out passes, and the military police were instructed to prevent strangers from entering,
or loitering about, the barracks.
As regards the efficiency of the registration it has been fairly satisfactory, but the
city registration has been merely nominal. Yet the area of registration embraces the city
and all the villages within four miles of the cantonment boundaries, an area containing
a population of 130,000. At the commencement of the year there were 87 women on the
register, at the end of the year 125 women. The monthly average of city women was
only 6·35, of cantonment women 74·87.
The increase in the number of registered women was due to the fact that three
regiments which joined the camp of exercise brought 7, 8, and 9 prostitutes with them
respectively, total 24—all of whom were entered on the Meerut register.
The attendance of the women for examination was fairly good. In all 22 cases
of absence from inspection were reported, and the women concerned were punished
by fine, under the orders of the Magistrate, to a total of Rs. 23, but only Rs. 3
were realized.
There was a most satisfactory decrease of disease amongst the registered women
in 1883 as compared with the prevalence in 1882— namely, from 336 cases in 1882
to 204 in 1883, and the disease of the last year was less virulent than before.
Of 78 women. newly registered during the year, 22 were found. diseased when first
examined. Only women suffering from venereal disease were admitted into hospital.
A dhai is employed at the hospital, but not allowed to examine the women at their
homes—such practice, in the opinion of the Medical Officer, being attended with no
benefit.
The Medical Officer calls attention to the fact that of 28 cases of disease con-
tracted in England and imported into India, 27 resulted in secondary syphilis—a
proof of the virulent character of venereal disease as it exists in England. Of the
262 cases contracted at Meerut, in not one instance did any secondary affection
ensue.And he points to the record of 73 cases of disease contracted by soldiers on the
line of march, in illustration of the difficulty which attends the endeavour to preserve
the registered women from disease. For these diseased soldiers contaminated the
registered women in due course.
In regard to the record, " 47 cases unknown," the Medical Officer thinks these
were chiefly cases of disease contracted in Meerut, where clandestine prostitution is
carried out to a considerable extent. And in regard to " 38 relapses" he thinks as