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registered more women in 1878 than in 1877. Also that the 282 cases of reported
absence from inspection are devisable . amongst 74 women only. Of these women 19
were punished, whilst in 1877, amongst a much larger number of women reported,
only 6 were punished. Also in 1878 the muharrir in charge of lock-hospital cases,
has been several times punished, for lax or suspicious action in regard to them.
The Cantonment Magistrate acknowledges that the native police are useless for
the detection of unlicensed prostitution by reason of their openness to bribery, or
willingness to receive gratuitous favours from the women they ought to arrest.
He would not counsel the arrest of suspected women by the police, by reason of
the power they would acquire to practise a lucrative employment, by demanding
money from innocent women on threat of unjust report. He acknowledges that the
police have failed in their duty to bring up for punishment many women reported
absent from inspection: Stringent orders have been passed on this subject, and the
Superintendent of Police has been asked to aid in this direction. But the result has
not been been favorable: out of 10 absent, perhaps one or two have been arrested.
The Cantonment Magistrate thinks the good or bad results of a year's management
depend upon luck-explaining that a good-looking ayah may be a cause of much
disease before detection, or that the source of the disease may be in the very midst of
the barracks. He thinks much mischief results from barrack-ayahs and canton-
ment servants, who have better opportunities than vagrant women for meeting soldiers
secretly. In view of the manifest failure of the police in this matter now, the Canton-
ment Magistrate proposes the establishment of a scale of rewards to be paid to the
policeman or chaukidár reporting or arresting a guilty woman. He would give
Rs. 5 reward for the arrest of a woman diseased with syphilis; Rs. 3 if diseased
with gonorrhœa; Rs. 2 if guilty of unlicensed prostitution, but healthy—urging
the proposal on the grounds that Government rewards the destruction of wild beasts
which cause less pain and suffering than a diseased woman.
32. The Magistrate reports that as regards results the management has been
most unsatisfactory. He thinks the chief cause of this was the utterly corrupt and
inefficient character of the police.
He suggests that some portion of the increase of disease reported may be due to a
more strict definition of venereal disease, by regimental medical officers in 1878, than
in former years. He has no doubt that the registration of only 151 prostitutes
amongst a native population of 155,000 is a partial measure and useless. Before,
however, registration can be extended to all prostitutes, a new hospital must be pro-
vided, as pointed out year after year; and the Contagious Diseases Act (XIV of 1868)
must be enforced in the station, city, and within the 4-mile radius of the lock-hospital
area.
But the Magistrate believes registration never will touch the vagrant women of
sorts about the barracks, who cause the greatest portion of the disease complained of
For the prevention of this cause strong measures are necessary. The Magistrate does
not say how these vagrant women about barracks are to be dealt with, but he urges
that the city and its suburbs should be permanently put out of bounds to the European
soldier at least out of bounds for six months to a soldier discharged from hospital
after first cure from syphilis, and permanently after a second cure; and he urges
strongly that a soldier in hospital for venereal disease should not receive full pay, for,
so paid, the diseased soldier saves money during the time of his cure. The Magistrate
thinks half the patient's pay might with justice be credited to lock-hospital funds.
The Magistrate does not doubt that the police have neglected their duty in not
arresting women absent from inspection; and when the registration is perfected,
be would have the muhalla police responsible for the production of all registered
women in their beats. The scheme of rewards proposed by the Cantonment Magistrate
does not meet with the Magistrate's approval.