( 82 )
I admit that it has not been the rule to interfere with the men's liberty when
disease is trivial, and I think few will hold it advisable to make already irksome and
monotonous lives doubly irksome, thus driving men to drink, when the adoption of
liberal expenditure is far more certain to eradicate the evil which constriction of
limits will not do.
But I appeal to reports of other years to show that action has constantly been
taken, and at times the city and suburbs have been out of bounds .
Whilst writing this report I have learnt of a sudden burst of disease int he 73rd
and 87th Regiments, and have restricted all European soldiers to the canal boundary
until further orders.
This, I trust, will, with the aid of the civil authorities, lead to the exodus of the
Anglican fire ships who are credited with the mischief.
The Sanitary Commissioner alludes to rules in force at Cawnpore or Fyzabad
(paras. 6 and 78). As regards the latter, I have the authority of the medical officer in
charge of that city lock-hospital for stating that he did not think the reduction of
venereal disease was due in marked degree to the city being out of bounds. Further,
he assured me that the order for placing it was based upon the constant dangers which
the men would run of catching various diseases from the never-ending stream of
pilgrims passing to and from Ajudhia.
With reference to the Sanitary Commissioner's remarks anent soldiers of this
garrison " wandering in the city at night time," I am satisfied he misunderstood
Surgeon-Major Fairland's remarks.
In primis, I emphatically deny that any such custom has ever been authorized
or has obtained during my tenure of command, and I crave on behalf of my predecessors
equal freedom from any such state of indiscipline.
The remarks in Staff Surgeon Fairland's report were, I believe, only applicable to
the very early hours of evening and only to the suburbs immediately bordering on canton-
ment.
As it makes a very material difference to all concerned in preserving discipline
as to whether soldiers have or have not been allowed to roam at will, I desired in a
public manner as possible to correct the erroneous impressions which may have been
formed on reading the Sanitary Commissioner's report.
I have abstained from reviewing Staff Surgeon Fairland's report because it is so
good that it had best speak for itself; but I wish to make one more remark upon the
Sanitary Commissioner's report, relative to his proposal to augment the number of can-
tonment prostitutes up to about 230. The 144 now on the rolls and those who have
been on it for three years have long and bitterly complained about the preference
by the soldiers to the unregistered women.
If then (so to say) the horse will not drink the well water provided for him, pure
and unadulterated, and prefers foul water, muddy and dirty, of what use will it be to
add another hundred women to those who can hardly gain a livelihood.
Doubtless many of the present ones would desert in quest of better fields.
In former reports it has been pointed out how many men will not in a cold-
blooded fashion seek woman's society in presence of many who know the exact errand
he is bent on, and they prefer running risks elsewhere with the probability of liquor
combined.
I claim for all administrative and executive officers in this command considerable
praise for the unremitting exertions in endeavouring to guard their men against
disease, but when I consider that their endeavours are almost as futile " as those of
Tantalus," I am not astonished at their comparative ill success.
R. CHAMBERLAIN, LIEUT.-GENL.,
Commanding Oudh Division.
LucknOw, the 20th February, 1878.