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The annual report shows conclusively that unregistered women are the chief causes
of disease, and especially city women, the facts recorded as regards the artillery of
Machibhawan showing conclusively that a city lock-hospital is a necessity. The
artillery of the fort cannot be confined to its limits, and a soldier leaving the fort
passes almost immediately into the city. With soldiers in cantonments it is different,
and stringent measures have been used with particular regiments. Much trouble
arises from the European and Eurasian women living on the borders of cantonments,
and their principal locality of residence has been placed out of bounds to the European
soldier. Of course these women, described as occupants of millinery establishments,
refreshment-rooms, and board and lodging-houses, will remove in time to a locality
not placed out of bounds, but they will be carefully watched and every endeavour made
to prevent this cause of disease.
The general thinks that when disease is trivial the soldier's monotonous life should
not be made doubly irksome by restricting his liberty, but when disease prevails he
will, and has placed the locality of disease prevalence out of bounds.
The general explains that the words used by Dr. Fairland in his report of
1876, namely, that **very large numbers of soldiers from cantonments daily, or rather
nightly, visit the city, was intended to convey the meaning, not that the soldiers
were in the city during the night, but in the evening time only.
The general is of opinion that it would serve no good purpose to increase the
number of registered women, as, however numerous the registered women may be, the
soldier will often prefer sexual intercourse furtively obtained with an unregistered
woman to sexual intercourse openly obtained with a registered woman.
64. The deputy surgeon-general, I. M. D., notes that if the cases of vene-
real disease which occurred during the past year in the 65th Regiment, removed
from Lucknow in November had been entered in the returns, the ratio of deaths
per 1,000 of the garrison would have been 159 instead of 153. The deputy
surgeon-general thinks the establishment of lock-hospitals will not eradicate venereal
disease because of the promiscuous sexual intercourse of the soldier. But the system
when assiduously worked, as by Dr. Fairland at Lucknow, will undoubtedly con-
trol the prevalence of such disease. He thinks the larger the number of registered
women, the smaller the proportion of venereal disease amongst them and amongst
the soldiers will be. The closing of the city lock-hospital he thinks an unwise measure
so long as soldiers cohabit with city women. Of the two native infantry regiments at
Lucknow, in one venereal disease prevailed, and was comparatively absent in the other.
The cause of this peculiarity remains to be discovered.
65. The officiating deputy surgeon-general, A. M. D., concurs with Dr.
Fairland in thinking that good results arise from the operation of the lock-hospital
rules at Lucknow, and that harm has resulted from the closing of the city lock-hospital.
He records the opinion that either the cantonment lock-hospital rules should be
extended to the city, or the city lock-hospital be re-opened.
66. The city magistrate thinks that the lessened prevalence of venereal disease
amongst the soldiers has been due to the placing of the city, or other places of disease
prevalence, out of bounds. This measure was induced by the abolition of the city
lock-hospital. He states that the Fort Machibhawan is to be evacuated by the
artillery soldiers, and that the prevalence of venereal disease there may hasten the
fulfilment of the Government promise in regard to this matter.
The city lock-hospital was of no use to the people of the city, and the citizens
could not be justly taxed to support it. If the military authorities had consented to
allow its cost to be met from the cantonment share of the octroi, the city lock-
hospital would have been maintained. A grant of Rs. 50 per mensem is made
by the municipality to the cantonment lock-hospital with a view to the control of
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